Cofrin Center for Biodiversity

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What is Ecology?

Ecology is the study of interactions between organisms and their environment. The "environment" in this definition might refer to 1) physical surroundings like water, air, and climate, or 2) other organisms of the same or different species. Because this definition is so broad, many subjects are included in the study of ecology.

Ecological Units

Ecologists study interactions at various scales of reference, from the level of an individual animal or plant and its surroundings to complex assemblages of species over large landscapes. The following list identifies important ecological units of study, from the local scale to global scale of reference:

individual (single organism)
population (an interacting group of individuals of the same species)
community (an interacting assemblage of species in a given area)
ecosystem (ecological community + physical surroundings)
landscape (interconnected ecosystems in a given geographic area)
biosphere (all ecosystems on Earth)

Ecology in Our Lives

The air that we breathe, water that we drink, food that we eat, and resources that we use all are part of the ecological interactions that connect us with the earth's environment. An understanding of these and other ecological interactions helps us use our resources more sustainably and helps prevent environmental catastrophes. In fact, ecology is an important part of many human activities on which all of us depend. Because they include two-way interactions between people and the environment, these activities have a profound impact on biodiversity as well as on our own economies and quality of life: air photograph

farming
forestry
wildlife management
fisheries management
recreation
endangered species preservation
pest management
landscape design

References

Many excellent books are available for learning about ecology, ecosystems, and related subjects. This list includes some of today's most widely used textbooks as well as lighter reading that addresses current issues in ecology.

Begon, M., C.R. Townsend, and J.L. Harper. 1998. Ecology: Individuals, Populations, and Communities. Blackwell Scientific. 1068 pages.

Brown, J.H. and L.A. Real. 1991. Foundations of Ecology : Classic Papers With Commentaries. University of Chicago Press. 905 pages.

Bush, M.B. 2000. Ecology of a Changing Planet. Prentice Hall, Inc.

Dodson, S.I. 1998. Ecology. Oxford University Press.

Gotelli, N.J. 1995. A Primer of Ecology. Sinauer Assoc.

Gurney, W.S.C. and R.M. Nisbet. 1998. Ecological Dynamics. Oxford Univ. Press.

Kormondy, E.J. 1996. Concepts of Ecology. Prentice Hall, Inc.

Molles, M.S. 1999. Ecology: Concepts and Applications. W.C. Brown Publ.

Ricklefs, R.E. 1996. The Economy of Nature: A Textbook in Basic Ecology. W.H. Freeman and Co.

Smith, R.L. and T. M. Smith. 1998. Elements of Ecology. Harpercollins College Division.

Biodiversity Topics: Introduction . Plants . Animals . Mammals . Birds . Reptiles & Amphibians . Arthropods . Spiders . Insects