Ecology

Ecology (from Greek: οἶκος, oikos, “house, household, housekeeping, or living relations” ; -λογία, -logia, “study of”) is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the distribution and abundance of organisms and their interactions with their environment.

Like many of the natural sciences, however, a conceptual understanding of ecology is found in the broader details of study, including:

* life processes explaining adaptations
* external relations and interaction among organisms
* the flux 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 is concerned with the web or network of relations among organisms at different scales of organization. Ecology is also distinguished from natural history, which deals primarily with the descriptive study of organisms. Ecologists are scientists that study ecosystems. Ecosystems are real places (a pond, field, forest, etc.) or they can be conceptually abstract schemes showing the direction and quantified amounts of energy and resources flowing through a system or network of relations.

Ecology is often misused as a synonym for environment, but it differs from environmental studies, for example, because it is one of the few academic disciplines dedicated to holism.The environment describes all factors and scales of study that are external to an organism, including abiotic factors such as temperature, radiation, light, chemistry, climate and geology, and biotic factors, including genes, cells, organisms, members of the same species (conspecifics) and other species that share a habitat.

One of the unique and complex aspects to ecology is that there are emergent phenomena operating at different environmental scales of influence, ranging from molecular to galactic spheres. These scaled phenomena require different sets of scientific explanation, which is otherwise captured in the expression ‘the sum is greater than the parts’. An understanding of these emergent phenomena operating at different scales requires a conceptual distinction between ecology and the environment. While the environment of an organism includes everything in the universe that is external to it, only some levels are more evidently of direct importance and this is called the effective environment.

Ecosystems are most commonly studied at the local or effective community scale, such as measurements of primary production in a wetland[10] or the analysis of predator-prey dynamics affecting amphibian biomass[11]. Ecological relations also regulate the flux of energy, nutrients, and climate all the way up to the planetary scale. The global sum of ecosystems is known as the biosphere where ecological theory has been used to explain self emergent regulatory phenomena at the planetary scale. This is known as the Gaia hypothesis[9]. The Gaia hypothesis is an example of holism in ecology because it tests for principals relating to an evolving and self regulating planetary ecosystem that requires different explanations than those governing ecosystems at a smaller scale, such as a single wetland.

Animal ecology is an important area of study for scientists. It is the study of animals and how they related to each other as well as how they related to their environment. There are various forms of animal ecology. This includes:

• Behavioral ecology, the study of the behavior of the animals with relation to their environment and others
• Population ecology, the study of the effects on the population of these animals
• Marine ecology is the study of animal life
• Evolutionary ecology is the study of how animals evolve over time to meet the demands on them

There are various other forms. By studying this information, scientists hope to learn more about what makes these animals prosper or what potentially holds them back. With animal ecology, there are many factors, most of which are human caused, that is currently threatening them.

There are many examples of this problem throughout the country. Perhaps the best examples, though, are in the water. A look at area lakes, coastlines and even marine life will show you just how much human environmental damage has hurt these animals. Animal ecology has changed drastically in an effort to keep up. Here are some examples of how the environment and human interaction has changed the scope of many animals.

• Animal habitats in many marine areas have ceased to exist. Coral reefs and other very delicate ecosystems have been harmed by human presence.
• In the arctic regions, melting ice has limited the lifespan of polar bears, which make the ice their home. Additionally, sea lions and other marine life that use the ice to rest on have been unable to do so.
• Dams and other waterway changes have hurt animal ecology throughout the country. Animals are no longer able to get to the source of water they need.
• Deforestation in jungles and other habitats has caused many of the only locations for animals to live to be wiped away.
• Sprawling city growth has also pushed animals farther and farther out of their natural habitats.

There are many other ways that animal ecology has changed. The goal of scientists is to find out what is happening and why it is happening that way. It is often very much a worry when animal species are dying or are unable to evolve naturally because of the drastic changes in their lifestyles and living areas. Through study of animal ecology, scientists hope to understand better what really is happening and what effect it will have both in the short and in the long term.

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