BIOL 2260 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Macroecology, Soil Science, Conservation Biology
9 Sep 2016
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Biol 2260 chapter 1 introduction to ecology. Ecology: the branch of science dedicated to the study of organisms and their relationship with their environment. Ecology comes from the greek word for house, oikos. Interdisciplinary science: plant biology, animal biology, microbiology, molecular biology, geography, soil science, chemistry, physics. Not a political viewpoint or way of life. Ecology is about understanding the mechanics that cause the patterns in the natural world. Ecologists study environmental relationships from an individual to global scale. Range of subjects can be arranged in a hierarchy: biosphere. Biological, chemical, physical processes and interactions in a location. Understand the controls on nutrient cycling and energy flow through ecosystems: community. How the environment influences these processes: individual. Different temporal and spatial scales will require completely different research methods. Ecologists design their studies based on their research questions, the temporal and spatial scale of their studies, and the tools available. Diversity of approaches by different ecologists is vast.
