Ecology

Ecology, or ecological science, is the scientific study of the distribution and abundance of living organisms and how these properties are affected by interactions between the organisms and their environment. The environment of an organism includes both the physical properties, which can be described as the sum of local abiotic factors like climate and geology, as well as the other organisms that share its habitat. The term oekologie was coined in 1866 by the German biologist, Ernst Haeckel, from the Greek oikos meaning "household" and logos meaning "study"; hence, the "study of the household of nature".

External links

• Dictionary of the History of Ideas: Environment
• Environmental Portal Green Media
• Ecology Database
• The Virtual Library of Ecology and Biodiversity