What is Ecology?

Ecology (from Greek: , "house"; -, "study of") is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount (biomass), number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems. Ecosystems are hierarchical systems that are organized into a graded series of regularly interacting and semi-independent parts (e.g., species) that aggregate into higher orders of complex integrated wholes (e.g., communities). Ecology is a sub-discipline of biology, the study of life. The word "ecology" ("kologie") was coined in 1866 by the German scientist Ernst Haeckel (18341919). Ancient philosophers of Greece, including Hippocrates and Aristotle, were among the earliest to record notes and observations on the natural history of plants and animals. Modern ecology branched out of natural history and matured into a more rigorous science in the late 19th century. Charles Darwin's evolutionary treatise including the concept of adaptation, as it was introduced in 1859, is a pivotal cornerstone in modern ecological theory.

Ernst Haeckel (left) and Eugenius Warming (right), two founders of ecology

Ecologists seek to explain: Life processes and adaptations Distribution and abundance of organisms The movement of materials and energy through living communities The successional development of ecosystems, and The abundance and distribution of biodiversity in context of the environment.

Ecology Classification

Based on living things, ecological studies are divided into: microbial ecology, plant ecology and animal ecology. Based on residence / region is divided into: urban ecology, rural ecology, forest ecology, lake ecology, and others.

Microbal Ecology

Animal Ecology

Terminology in Ecological

Species: group of similar individuals who have the same number of chromosomes. Habitat: the environment of a living thing. Population: group of similar individuals who inhabit a region at any given time.

Deer population and Habitat

Species of Fish

Community: is the relationship between groups of different species. Example, the community of rabbits, fox, snakes, rats, birds, etc.

Food webs that formed in a community