Ecology - What is Ecology

Ernst Haeckel

The person who coined the term “ecology.”

• ‘oikos logo’ = study of the house.

Theoretical Ecology

• Study predator/prey relationships

• Modelling population growth rates

• Underlying symbiotic relationships 

• Look into the role of biodiversity in ecosystem stability 

Applied Ecology

• Developed wildlife management strategies.

• Predict effects of climate change on species distribution. 

• Enhancing crop production through pest control. 

• Make conservation plans to protect endangered species 

Scientific Method 

Information, Questions, Hypothesis, Prediction, Test hypothesis.

In scientific method what is included in information

• Observations

• Experiment

• Modeling

• Published studies

In scientific method what is included in Testing hypothesis 

• Observation 

• Experiment 

• Modeling 

Data includes: gathering, management, display, summary statistics, statistical analysis, accept/reject hypothesis. 

What is included in hierarchical organization

1) Organism

2) Population

3) Community

4) Ecosystem

5) Biosphere

Organism (hierarchical organization)

One organism interacts with its environment (e.g. physiological ecology)

Population (hierarchical organization)

Group of organisms of the same species living in a specific habitat and interbreeding freely (eg, Population ecology) 

Community (hierarchical organization)

Population of different species in particular habitat interacting with each other (eg: Community Ecology)

Ecosystem (hierarchical organization)

Community + their abiotic environment interacting together (eg: Ecosystem ecology)

Biosphere (hierarchical organization)

Sum of all of planets ecosystem (eg: Ecosystem ecology, Environment biology) 

Subdisciplines of Ecology

• Organismal Ecology

• Population Biology

• Community Ecology

• Ecosystem Ecology

• Landscape Ecology

• Biogeography