ecology
nounUK /ɪˈkɒl.ə.d͡ʒi/ · US /ɪˈkɑ.lə.d͡ʒi/
Etymology Calque of German Ökologie (coined in 1866 by Ernst Haeckel), from Ancient Greek οἶκος (oîkos, “house”) + -λογία (-logía, “study of”). By surface analysis, eco- + -logy.
1
Biology, Natural sciences The branch of biology dealing with the relationships of organisms with their environment and with each other.
- As a graduate student, he was working on a thesis: The Ecology of the Black Creek Area. He had to investigate the relationships, past and present, of men and plants and animals in this region.1949, George R. Stewart, Earth Abides:
- As in much of biology, the most satisfying truths in ecology derive from manipulative experimentation. Tinker with nature and quantify how it responds.2012 January 23, Robert M. Pringle, “How to Be Manipulative”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 1, archived from the original on 03 Oct 2013, page 31:
2
Broadly Any study of the relationships of components of a system with their environment and with each other.
- social ecology
- linguistic ecology
3
The totality or pattern of relationships of components of a system with their environment and with each other.
- Derived terms
40 terms
aeroecology, agroecology, anthecology, arcology, astroecology, autecology, bioecology, chemical ecology, chemoecology, chronoecology, cultural ecology, deep ecology, dendroecology, eco-, ecological, ecologism, ecologist, ecology block, ecosophy, ecosystem, ecotribe, ethnoecology, geoecology, human ecology, hydroecology, immunoecology, macroecology, microecology, myrmecology, neuroecology, paleoecology, pedoecology, photoecology, physioecology, psychoecology, radioecology, restoration ecology, socioecology, synecology, zooecology- Related terms
- ecology block
- Hyponyms
- agroecology, autecology, chemical ecology, chronoecology, cultural ecology, dendroecology, ethnoecology, geoecology, hydroecology, kincentric ecology, language ecology, linguistic ecology, macroecology, myrmecology, palaeoecology, paleoecology, photoecology, phytoecology, radioecology, restoration ecology, social ecology, socioecology, synecology, thermoecology