The Definition of Ecology

The definition of ecology is the study of organisms and their relationship to the environments in which they live; another name for ecology in bionomics. We, as human beings, are not only concerned with our interrelationships with other life forms on the earth, but fellow human beings; this study of interrelationships between human groups would be covered by a branch of sociology, which is also called by the term human ecology.

The definition of ecology cannot be put into a small scope, because it is very broad. The definition of ecology includes the study involving the damage done to the environment from our modern civilizations, which also comes under the heading of human ecology. Ernst Haeckel first defined ecology in the mid 1800s. Haeckel gave the definition of ecology purely as the study of organisms in relation to their environment. Since Haeckel's definition of ecology, further definitions have been added to include a wider scope of understanding.

Understanding the definition of ecology helps us to understand our ecosystem and the hierarchy of the organisms on earth and their relationship to each other. Our ecosystem is built similar to a pyramid. At the base the bottom is very wide and as the organisms become more complex the levels rise and narrow until you have human beings at the top. We can even think of ourselves as a universe or ecosystem. We each stand alone as an individual organism. As an organism we are comprised of a series of organ systems, and our organ systems are comprised of individual organs. Our organs are made of tissues, and our tissues are made of cells and our cells are made of molecules and our molecules are made of atoms. There we have it; we are all a sack full of atoms, but not really. Every part of our body's ecosystem has a relationship with every other part, which is a great way to understand the definition of ecology.

The definition of ecology stems into every area of human life; we can see the evidence of ecology or bionomics in society. Human health is a common issue; laws are passed to prevent us from polluting the air and the water. Our automobiles have to meet certain standards to control the amount of emissions being released into the atmosphere. We are encouraged to recycle to stop the landfills from overflowing with pollution that will not degrade.

Now in early education, children are taught the definition of ecology; they are taught socialization skills, as well as environmental skills. They are taught the relevance of recycling and composting to the health of their environment. Children who are taught from an early age will grow up to be good stewards of the environment, to preserve it for the next generation, which is the definition of ecology in practice.