Ecology Meaning – Definition & Synonyms
Ecology is the scientific specialty focused on the study and analysis of the link that arises between living beings and the environment that surrounds them, understood as the combination of abiotic factors (among which climate and geology can be mentioned) and biotic factors (organisms that share the habitat ). Ecology also analyzes the distribution and quantity of living organisms as a result of the aforementioned relationship.
It should be noted that ecology is a concept that dates back to the late 1860s and was coined by the German-born biologist and philosopher Ernst Haeckel . This word is composed of two Greek words: oikos (which means “house” , “residence” or “home” ) and logos (a term that, translated into Spanish, is understood as “study” ). For this reason, ecology is precisely defined as “the study of homes . ”
Historical development of the concept
Although the origin of the term is dubious, the researcher Haeckel is recognized as one of its creators, who when he began to develop his experiments defined it as that branch of science that revolves around the interaction of every living being with the surface. that surrounds it. However, he eventually extended the concept to encompass the analysis of the properties of the environment , including the movement of matter and energy and its evolution due to the presence of biological assemblages.
Currently and for several years, ecology has been closely related to a heterogeneous political and social movement that tries to act in defense of the environment, wildlife and biodiversity . Environmentalists make different social complaints, propose the need for legal reforms, promote the creation of protected areas and promote social awareness to achieve their main objective, which is the conservation of human health without damaging or altering the balance of natural ecosystems. .
For this reason, the environmental cause (also known as the green or environmental movement ) focuses on three great issues of universal scope: the preservation and regeneration of natural resources; wildlife protection; and the reduction of the level of pollution generated by humanity.
Ecology and homeostasis
A fundamental element of ecology is homeostasis , which consists of the fact that all species that inhabit a balanced natural environment tend to self-regulate and remain more or less constant in number of inhabitants. In this way, the environment is ensured an equitable distribution of resources and there is never a lack of them. In an environment that has been modified by the hand of man, homeostasis is more difficult to find, and for this reason natural imbalances occur .
Ecology is currently considered to be a branch of biological sciences , being responsible for studying the interactions between living organisms and the natural environment in which they live. It is a multidisciplinary science that, to develop as such, requires other sciences to understand the entire study of the environment. Among these other sciences are climatology , biology , ethics , and chemical engineering .
All biotic processes are characterized by the transfer of energy, which is why they can be studied by physics and understood within its natural laws; Chemistry deals with the metabolic and physiological processes of the subsystems because they depend on chemical reactions. The structure of biomes is studied by geology since it is closely related to the geological structure of sleep, and living beings when interacting with the environment can modify their geology.
Regarding calculations, statistics and projections to draw conclusions from specific and numerical information, mathematics is responsible for studying them . To study each aspect of life in an ecosystem, in short, ecology always uses other sciences , for this reason it is said to be multidisciplinary .
The study of ecosystems
Ecology establishes different levels of organization of living beings to carry out its studies. In this way, it differentiates between the being (anything that exists, living or inert), the individual (any living being regardless of its species), the species (group of individuals that share a genome, with phenotypic characteristics), the population ( individuals of a species that share a habitat), the community (set of populations that share a habitat), the ecosystem (combination and interaction between biotic and abiotic factors in nature), the biome (communities of plants that share a geographic area) and the biosphere (set of ecosystems that are part of the planet ; it is an ecological unit that refers to the entire inhabited part of the planet).
Scientists who research and develop theories about ecology are called ecologists . Two major branches of ecology can be mentioned: autoecology (individual species and their multiple relationships with the environment) and synecology (communities and their relationships with the environment).
Types of ecology depending on the object of interest
In turn, according to what ecologists investigate, they collaborate with a specific type of ecology:
1. Behavioral ecology: is responsible for studying food collection techniques, adaptations to predation or natural disasters, and reproduction relationships.
2. Population ecology: is responsible for studying the processes that have to do with homeostasis, distribution and abundance of populations, both animals and plants. Fluctuations in the number of individuals of each species, predator-prey relationships and population genetics.
3. Community ecology: is responsible for studying the functioning and ways of organizing a community, made up of interacting populations. These ecologists investigate the ranges of species, the reasons why some are more numerous than others, and the factors that affect the stability of the community.
4. Paleoecology, for its part , is an important area that studies fossil organisms. By studying the species of the past, we can understand the collection, reproduction and other techniques that current organisms have.
Climate change
Climate change is one of the main concerns of environmental movements and many leaders worldwide. The idea refers to long-term changes in climate patterns and temperatures, which may have a natural origin or be caused by humans.
It is understood that, starting in the 19th century , there is climate change underway motivated by people’s activities. Specifically, the alteration is associated with global warming that affects flora , fauna and humanity on a planetary scale.
This global warming is mainly caused by greenhouse gas emissions . These gases, such as methane and carbon dioxide , surround the planet and do not allow the sun’s rays, after hitting the Earth’s surface, to bounce back and leave the atmosphere again .
Pollution , therefore, is an essential factor in global warming , which among other things causes the melting of glaciers . Mitigating climate change requires, at least, a reduction in emissions.
The ozone layer also affects climate change. This layer is responsible for absorbing part of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation: as it weakens, more of these rays reach the Earth, which can cause various damages to the environment and health . Although the hole in the ozone layer was a great concern a few years ago, thanks to political agreements to prohibit the use of chemicals that harmed the layer, the situation was brought under control.
It should be noted that the agreements agreed upon by the various countries arise from meetings such as climate summits and other international meetings. From the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change adopted in 1992 , meanwhile, the Kyoto Protocol (in force since 2005 ) and the Paris Agreement ( 2016 ) emerged as a commitment to reduce gas emissions. greenhouse effect .
Ecology and renewable energies
Environmental activists, on the other hand, promote the use of renewable energy to ensure sustainability and encourage sustainable development . The sources of these energies are naturally renewed, which means they are not exhausted, unlike what happens with non-renewable energies .
Renewable energies are also known as clean energies since they generally have a lower environmental impact than others. Solar energy and wind energy are some of these types of energy that offer several advantages for the ecology.
Read these Important key points:
1. Ecology is the branch of science that analyzes the interactions between living organisms and the natural environment in which they live. It is considered multidisciplinary since it is based on other sciences such as climatology, biology or ethics.
2. There are different levels of organization in ecology such as individual, species, population, community, ecosystem, biome and biosphere, which are important for the study of living beings and their interactions.
3. Several branches of ecology are distinguished, such as behavioral ecology, population ecology, community ecology and paleoecology, each with its specific focus and area of study.
4. Climate change, related to global warming and pollution, is a central concern for environmentalists and requires a reduction in emissions for mitigation.
5. The use of renewable and clean energy, such as solar and wind energy, is encouraged by environmental activists to ensure sustainability and sustainable development in the ecological context.