Overview

Ecology is the branch of science that deals with the interrelationships of plants, animals, and the environment. The world has a great variety of living things ranging from simple one-celled organisms, such as bacteria and fungi, to man. No organism lives by itself. In some way, each depends on the living and non-living things in the environment. This perception of interdependence did not evolve until late in the twentieth century. Nineteenth-century researchers on expeditions, plant and animal scientists in Europe, and American naturalists all contributed bits and pieces. Their efforts would continue into the early part of the twentieth century. Work on various elements of ecology was fragmented and not connected, and because of communication problems, research...