Ecology and Environmental Science

• Ecology of ecosystems is an introduction to Topic 1

Ecology and Environmental Science

• Ecology and environmental science are closely related disciplines, necessary to fully understand the other
• Both sciences provide information about nature and what people can do to better protect the planet and conserve resources

Ecology

• Ecology studies the relationships between organisms and their environment
• Ernst Haeckel defined ecology in 1866
• The word "ecology" is derived from the Greek words:
• "oikos" (οἶκος), meaning a house, dwelling, or household
• "logos" (λόγος), meaning word, discourse, or study

Environmental Science

• Environmental science is an interdisciplinary field comprising:
• Natural Science
• Social Science
• Humanities
• Environmental Science studies all aspects of the environment
• Environmental Science integrates information and ideas in analyzing, explaining, and designing solutions to environmental problems

Environment

• The word "environner" (French) means to surround or encircle
• The environment includes all the factors, living and non-living, that affect an individuals, organisms or population at any point in the life cycle
• "Environment" is also sometimes used to denote a certain set of circumstances surrounding a particular occurrence

Coverage

• Environmental Science is a more overarching field incorporating Earth and life sciences elements to understand natural processes.
• Ecology is more focused on how organisms interact with each other and with their immediate surroundings

Research Goals & Questions

• A differences between ecology and environmental science is the goal of research in each discipline:
• Ecological questions include: "What factors reduce the reproduction rate of the virus?", "What brand of vaccine will be more effective?", and "What triggers the emergence of new COVID variants?"
• Environmental science questions include: "What caused the spread of corona virus?", "What would be the most effective policy to prevent community transmission?", and "What are the impacts of COVID 19 to the environment?"

Definition and Scope of Ecology

• Literally, ecology is the study of the earth's households, which includes:
• Plants
• Animals
• Microorganisms
• People
• All of the included components live together as interdependent components
• Ecology is concerned not only with organisms but also with energy flows and material cycles on the land, the sea, the air, and in fresh water
• Ecology is the study of the structure and function of nature, where humankind is understood as a part of nature

Ethical Perspectives

• Biocentrism involves:
• A belief that humans are part of nature
• Considering all living things as equally important
• Orienting concerns toward protecting nonhuman organisms and nature as a whole
• Anthropocentrism involves:
• A belief that humans are not part of nature
• Considering humans as the superior living organism
• Narrowly aiming concerns for the environment at preserving the welfare of humans

Concept of Levels of Organization

• Biological units interact with the physical environment (energy and matter) successively combine to produce a series of living systems (bio-systems)
• The word "system" is a regularly interacting or interdependent group of items forming a unified whole
• Ecology is concerned about levels beyond individual organisms

The Principle of Integrative Level

• This principle is a corollary to the concept of levels of organization
• As components combine (or integrate) to produce larger functional wholes in a hierarchical series, new properties emerge, called emergent properties
• The whole is greater than the sum of its parts, or the forest is more than a collection of trees
• Although findings at any one level do aid the study of another level, they never completely explain the phenomena occurring at that level
• The phenomena of integrative level or hierarchical control means that we can begin the study of ecology at any one of the various levels without having to know about adjacent level below it
• Some attributes become more complex with size
• The rates of function may become less variable in larger units of nature