What is ecology?
When we talk about ecology, we have to mean a science that is a branch of biology. Ecology deals with describing the relationships that occur between individual species of living organisms and their living environment. Within the scope of this field is also the study of phenomena that occur between individual living organisms.
Ecology consists of several systems, such as:
Population – a specific group of representatives of a given species of living organisms that interact and interbreed;
Biocenosis – is a collection of specific living organisms that interact with each other;
Biotope – a natural environment in which certain groups of living organisms occur;
Ecosystem – is a collection of selected living organisms that occur in a specific natural environment, i.e. we are dealing here with a combination of a biocenosis and a biotope;
Biosphere– is the total space occupied by living organisms.
What does ecology do?
As a science, ecology bends over various phenomena. This means that due to the range of phenomena studied and described, it should be divided into the following areas:
- social ecology,
- population ecology,
- behavioral ecology,
- evolutionary ecology,
- synecology
- autoecology.
Social ecology is the placement of selected individuals, representing a particular species of living organisms, in an environment in which it does not occur naturally. Such action allows you to learn about the relationships and distinguish the characteristic features of specific species.
Population ecology focuses on a selected population of living organisms. It examines its functioning and abundance.
Behavioral ecology studies living organisms in new conditions. Thanks to this, it is possible to learn in detail the behavior of specific species.
Evolutionary ecology is concerned not only with the present, but also with the past. It examines the history of the creation of a selected species of living organisms and the changes that took place in it in the course of evolution.
Synecology deals with a group of selected living organisms. It primarily examines their mutual interaction.
Autoecology studies living organisms in their natural environment. It focuses primarily on their development and functioning.
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