What is Ecology? – Types, Examples and Importance of Ecology

Do you ever try to know what is Ecology? Do you have a lien for ecology, protection of biodiversity, no counterweight to climate, and protection of the environment? How to understand the double meaning of the term, scientific and political?

Ecology, in the first sense of the term, is a science whose purpose is the study of living beings (biodiversity) with their environment and each other within that environment (the whole being designated by the term “ecosystem’

By extension, ecology also indicates a movement of thought which is made up of different currents whose common goal is to integrate environmental issues into a socio-economic and political organization. The term is based on the radical change in the activity of humans/environment It establishes a new model of development.

What do you mean by Ecology?

Proposed in 1866 by the German biologist Ernst Haeckel,

the term “ecology” initially designates a science of the

environment carried out the study of the interactions of

living beings between them and their environment.

The modern interpretation that appeared in the 1960s gives

him a new definition. The ecology that we envisage today

is the result of global awareness of climate change and

the harmful effects of human activity on its own environment.

Faced with various pollutions, the warming of our planet, or the destruction of ecosystems, ecology aims to limit our impact and find the balance that will allow our societies to live again in a sustainable way in the heart of these same ecosystems.

 What does Ecology have to do with me?

Ecology is the relationship between living organisms including humans with their physical environment and also includes their interactions with one another. It connects the Plant and Animals with their physical Environment. Ecology provides us the information about how we can get benefit from the Environment and from the interactions between Living and non-living things.

What are Ecologists?

Ecology examines the relationships between organisms and habitats of many different sizes, from the study of microorganisms that grow in fish tanks to the complex interactions between plants, animals, and thousands of communities found in the desert

Ecology also studies several types of ecosystems. For example, an ecologist might study the microorganisms that live under your feet or the animals and plants in the rainforest or ocean.

Role of Ecology in Our Lives

The many disciplines of Ecology like Marine, Vegetation, and also statistical ecology provide us the information about a better understanding of the world around us. That type of information helps us to understand how we can improve our living Environment. Let’s discuss the example

Improving our Environment:

Environmental research in the 1960s identified two main causes of poor water quality in lakes and rivers – phosphorus and nitrogen – which are found in large quantities in washing water and fertilizers. Citizens need this information, they can take action. Restored lakes and streams – many of which are popular for fishing and swimming

15 Minutes to Easily Understand Ecology

• Who would have imagined on their own that by throwing away an everyday product like a straw or a toothbrush, they could end their lives in the oceans?
• We believe that inaction is generally closely related to ignorance. Awareness, whether in any field, emerges only after a long process of teaching.
• Ecology is one of those subjects that is still today approached in a way that is far too technical and scientific to be accessible to everyone.
• With our podcast channel on ecology, we want to demystify certain fundamental notions in order to make them understandable to as many people as possible and allow everyone to act for the protection of nature.

Non-Native or Invasion Species | Ecology

Some non-native species (plants, animals, microbes, and fungi not native to a particular area) threaten our forests, farmlands, lakes, and other ecosystems. Introduced species, such as the kudzu vine shown here, do this by driving out the plants and animals that were originally there, often causing environmental damage.

For example, the gypsy moth, which occurs in Europe and Asia, destroys large areas of forest by chopping down or eating the leaves of trees. Initially, toxic chemicals, which also poison other animals, were the only means available to control this introduced pest. By targeting vulnerable stages in the butterflies’ life cycle, ecologists have developed less toxic strategies to control their numbers.

Public Health Services

Environmentalists have found that streams and marshes filter toxins and other pollutants from the water. Communities can benefit from this ecosystem service. Leaving some of these filters intact can reduce the load on water treatment plants built to provide the same service. Using natural synthetic methods, we have the opportunity to build new small-scale processing plants.

Biomedical Contributions

Environmentalists have discovered that many plants and animals produce chemicals that protect them from pests and diseases. Some of these same drugs are developed by scientists or harvested from the body and used to treat human diseases. Pacific yew, for example, produces a substance used in cancer treatment. Another example is hem lymph, a substance found in horse embryos that is used to treat leukemia.

Natural Resource Management

Endangered Species Protection

Some of our nation’s most beloved species have been brought back from the brink of extinction, like the bald eagle and peregrine falcon, as well as lesser-known species like the Virginia big-eared bat and the American burial beetle. . Or stable population. These advances are due to successful captive breeding efforts, reintroduction techniques, and a better understanding of the species as part of ecological research.

Forestry Solutions

The concept of ecology is applied to forest management and is slowly being integrated into mainstream forestry science. For example, ecological studies have shown that fire plays an important role in maintaining healthy forest ecosystems in some forests. This knowledge prompted further research into the use of controlled combustion to prevent unpredictable and costly fires.

Issues in Ecology

Many reports containing important scientific information on environmental issues are published by the Ecological Society of America with the support of the Pew Foundation and the Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Ecology, and permanent groups.

Final Words

In this article, I have discussed the role of Ecology in different aspects of the life and Environment. I have to  tried my best to provide you with all the authentic information about what is basically Ecology. Hope so, you have carefully read this topic; If you have any queries related to this then you are free to ask. The suggestions will be provided to you on your queries.