Ecology is the study of life and its relation to the environment. An ecologist attempts to understand how plants and animals depend upon their physical settings and upon one another in order to live. By emphasizing this dependence, ecologists assert that man cannot view nature as separate and detached; any change man makes in his environment affects all the organisms in it. The word ecology is derived from the Greek oikos, meaning "home, household, or place to live," and logos, meaning "study of." Ernst Haeckel, a German biologist and philosopher, coined the term ecology in 1866 after recognizing the importance of studying the environment as a separate scientific field. Before then, ecological issues were pursued under the study of natural history; a student of the great outdoors was called a naturalist. Later natural history was subdivided into special disciplines, such as geology, zoology, and botany. Even today, the ecologist must draw upon many scientific disciplines, including biology and geology.
In its earliest form, ecology was suggested in the 1700s as the concept of the economy of nature in which the Earth's interrelated organisms were seen as harmoniously balanced. When one creature created large amounts of offspring that perished or were eaten by another, this apparent imbalance actually served to perpetuate the species of another type of creature. In the 1800s, Charles Darwin, in his book The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, examined how living organisms in nature adapt to the conditions of life and their environment and the struggle for existence (natural selection). However, instead of emphasizing ecosystems, Darwin concentrated on an organism's ability to genetically reproduce more abundantly within certain environments and among other competing living organisms. Even though the studies of ecology and evolutionary theory are completely separate, the ecological understanding of where and how an organism lives is rooted in an understanding of how it has evolved.
Ecology is a relatively young science, but four basic principles have earned wide acceptance. The first tenet states that life patterns reflect the patterns of the physical environment. Unlike man, who can create livable conditions for his species nearly anywhere on Earth, each plant and animal flourishes only when certain physical conditions are present. Closely related is the second principle, which applies to biotic communities: living creatures of an area (its biota) tend to group themselves into loosely organized units known as communities, that become natural homes of each member species. For example, oak and hickory trees are generally found together in forests.
The third principle of ecology states that an orderly, predictable sequence of development takes place in any area. From barren soil to a self-sustaining community, this sequence is called ecological succession. The fourth principle asserts that a community and its environment constitute an ecosystem. Every ecosystem consists of organisms that draw vital materials from their surroundings and transfer materials to it. The inhabitants of an ecosystem are classified as producers, consumers, and decomposers. Through these four principles, ecologists investigate the interactions of organisms in various kinds of environments to learn how nature establishes orderly patterns among a great variety of living things.
In recent years scientists have begun to recognize the value of biodiversity to the environment. Biodiversity refers to the complex and great variety of animals and plant life on Earth, or in any ecosystems. These ecosystem members interact with one another in a great number of ways, not all of which are understood or recognized by man. Therefore, man's action that might harm or destroy a particular species could well have effects on other species that were not anticipated. Human development--roads, buildings, and other structures--threaten particular species and hence biodiversity. At present, species are going extinct about 100 times faster than the natural rate. Conservations organizations are encouraging governments to protect at least 10% to 12% of their total land area to aid in the preservation of biodiversity.
Also in recent years, climitalogists and other scientists have begun to see that man's actions are influencing his environment and, potentially, his climate. Through the release of man-made gases like carbon dioxide, heat is being trapped within the atmosphere, resulting in a slight warming that, if it continues, could have great reprecussions in the future. One recent comprehensive study used tree rings (which show temperature variations as well as precipitation variations), ice core samples (where trapped air can give clues about past environments), and coral records to trace climate patterns over the last 600 years. Researchers combined this evidence with temperature readings, which have been available for only about the last 150 years, and with historical records, and concluded that the 20th century has been the warmest century in the last 600 years. Moreover, they concluded that the warmest years in all of that period were 1990, 1995, and 1997. Such changes are a clear example of one species affect on the Earth, one that could eventually have an impact on all other plant and animal species on the planet.
This is the complete article, containing 821 words
(approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page).
