"Ecology is the study of the relationships among living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment."
It studies how populations of organisms interact in ecosystems, and how ecological systems self-regulate.
Ecosystems: The interactions between living organisms and their environment.
Biomes: Large-scale ecosystems that share similar environmental conditions.
Biodiversity: The variety of living organisms in a given area.
Trophic levels: The different levels of an ecosystem's food chain.
Energy flow: The movement of energy through an ecosystem.
Nutrient cycling: The cycling of essential nutrients within an ecosystem.
Population dynamics: The study of how populations fluctuate over time.
Species interactions: The relationships between different species in an ecosystem.
Habitat fragmentation: The division of habitat through human activity and its effects on ecosystems.
Ecological succession: The process by which an ecosystem undergoes change over time.
Conservation biology: The study of preserving and protecting biodiversity and ecosystems.
Biogeochemical cycles: The cycling of elemental matter through an ecosystem.
Ecological footprint: The measure of human impact on natural resources.
Adaptation and evolution: How organisms adapt to their environment over time.
Human impact on ecosystems: The effects of human activities on ecosystems and biodiversity.
Behavioral ecology: Studies the social and individual behavior of animals in relation to their environment.
Community ecology: Focuses on the interactions between different species in a specific area of the environment.
Conservation ecology: Concerns protection, preservation, and management of natural resources and endangered species.
Ecosystem ecology: Examines the interconnections between living and nonliving components of an environment.
Evolutionary ecology: Studies the interactions between ecology and evolution and their effects on biodiversity.
Landscape ecology: Explores the way ecosystems interact with each other and their relationship with the larger environment and land use.
Marine ecology: Studies the biological and physical processes of marine ecosystems, including coastal and ocean habitats.
Microbial ecology: Investigates the structure and function of microbial communities and their roles in ecosystem processes.
Population ecology: Analyzes the dynamics of a particular species population over time and in response to environmental changes.
Restoration ecology: Involves the process of restoring natural ecosystems that have been disturbed or degraded due to human activities.
"Ecology overlaps with the closely related sciences of biogeography, evolutionary biology, genetics, ethology, and natural history."
"Ecology has practical applications in conservation biology, wetland management, natural resource management (agroecology, agriculture, forestry, agroforestry, fisheries, mining, tourism)."
"The word ecology (German: Ökologie) was coined in 1866 by the German scientist Ernst Haeckel."
"The science of ecology as we know it today began with a group of American botanists in the 1890s."
"Ecosystems are dynamically interacting systems of organisms, the communities they make up, and the non-living (abiotic) components of their environment."
"Ecosystem processes, such as primary production, nutrient cycling, and niche construction, regulate the flux of energy and matter through an environment."
"Ecosystems have biophysical feedback mechanisms that moderate processes acting on living (biotic) and abiotic components of the planet."
"Ecosystems sustain life-supporting functions and provide ecosystem services like biomass production (food, fuel, fiber, and medicine), the regulation of climate, global biogeochemical cycles, water filtration, soil formation, erosion control, flood protection, and many other natural features of scientific, historical, economic, or intrinsic value." Please note that the highlighted quotes provide the relevant information for each question, but some questions may require further elaboration or explanation beyond the provided quotes.