A.4 Ecology: Organisms and Their Environment
Overall Progress
Overall Progress
Ecology is the scientific study of interactions among organisms and their environment. It encompasses a wide range of scales, from the molecular level to the global ecosystem. The term "ecology" was coined by Ernst Haeckel in 1866, derived from the Greek words "oikos" (house) and "logos" (study) [Haeckel, 1866].
Ecology studies organisms at various levels of organization, each building upon the previous:
Organisms interact with each other and their environment in various ways:
One of the fundamental concepts in ecology is population dynamics. Let's explore this with an interactive model of logistic population growth.
The logistic growth equation is given by:
Where:
Ecologists use various methods and tools to study ecosystems:
Ecological knowledge is crucial for addressing many global challenges:
Ecology is a vast and integrative science that provides crucial insights into the functioning of the natural world. By studying the interactions between organisms and their environment across various scales, ecologists help us understand and address critical environmental challenges. As human impacts on the planet continue to grow, ecological knowledge becomes increasingly important for sustainable development and the preservation of Earth's biodiversity.
No available