Ecology: Definition, Usage, and Examples

Meaning 1：interaction of organisms and environment (ecology)

ecology 🔊

/ɪˈkɒlədʒi/

The study of how living things interact with each other and their environment.

Ecology diagram showing a connected forest ecosystem with plants, animals, and a stream.

interaction of organisms and environment 🔊

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/ɪntərˈækʃən əv ˈɔːɡənɪzəmz ənd ɪnˈvaɪrənmənt/

The scientific discipline focused on the relationships between living things and their physical surroundings.

📁 Category：Natural Geography 🔖 Level：Elementary

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Greek 'oikos' (house) + '-logy' (study of).

💡 Mnemonic

Think 'Eco' (ecosystem) + 'logy' (study). Picture a scientist studying a house full of plants and animals.

📖 Example

We learned in school that protecting the forest is not just about saving trees, but about preserving the entire ecology of the area, including the birds, insects, and even the soil. 🔊 Our education emphasized that forest conservation involves safeguarding the whole web of life there.

🔗 Collocations

marine ecology – the study of life in the oceans and seas

restoration ecology – the practice of renewing degraded ecosystems

population ecology – the study of dynamics within species populations

🔄 Synonyms

environmental science (n.) – a broad field that includes ecology along with other studies of the environment

bionomics (n.) – a less common synonym for ecology

🌱 Derivatives

ecological (adj.) – relating to ecology or the environment

ecologist (n.) – a scientist who studies ecology

📖 Cultural Story

The term was coined in the 19th century by German zoologist Ernst Haeckel. It combined Greek 'oikos' (house, household) with '-logia' (study of), framing nature as a complex household where all organisms coexist.