Ecology

Ecology is the study of the relationship of plants and animals with their physical and biological environment. The physical environment includes light and heat or solar radiation, moisture, wind, oxygen, carbon dioxide, nutrients in soil, water, and atmosphere. The biological environment includes organisms of the same kind as well as other plants and animals.

Ecology is not synonymous with environment, environmentalism, natural history or environmental science. Ecology is closely related to the biological disciplines of physiology, evolution, genetics and behavior. An understanding of how biodiversity affects ecological function is an important focus area in ecological studies. Ecosystems sustain every life-supporting function on the planet, including climate regulation, water filtration, soil formation (pedogenesis), food, fibers, medicines, erosion control, and many other natural features of historical, spiritual or scientific value.

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,

· the abundance and distribution of biodiversity in context of the environment

There are diverse approaches to study organisms in their environment, therefore ecology draws upon such fields as climatology, hydrology, oceanography, physics, chemistry, geology, and soil analysis. To study the relationships between organisms, ecology also involves such sciences as animal behavior, taxonomy, physiology, and mathematics.

An increased public awareness of environmental problems has made ecology a common but often misused word. It is confused with environmental programs and environmental science. Although the field is a distinct scientific discipline, ecology does indeed contribute to the study and understanding of environmental problems.

The term "ecology" was introduced by the German biologist Ernst Heinrich Haeckel in 1866; it is derived from the Greek "oikos" ("household"), sharing the same root word as "economics". Thus, the term implies the study of the economy of nature. Modern ecology, in part, began with Charles Darwin. In developing his theory of evolution, Darwin stressed the adaptation of organisms to their environment through natural selection. Also making important contributions were plant geographers, such as Alexander von Humboldt, who were deeply interested in vegetation distribution around the world.

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Дата добавления: 2014-11-06