Ecology is a science that studies the relationship of living organisms with each other and with their environment. The term was first used by E. Haeckel in 1866. Today, ecology is one of the most important natural sciences, having
great significance for the life of any modern person. Nevertheless, this discipline still causes a lot of controversy among scientists: the object of its study, its structure, the definition of the term "ecology" and many other issues are discussed. The general conclusion that can be drawn from the many existing points of view is the following: any research conducted with the aim of studying the vital activity of living organisms in their natural habitat, establishing relationships between them and determining their impact on the environment, can be called ecological. Also note that it is wrong to say, for example, "bad natural ecology" because ecology is a science, not a characteristic of the environment.
The object of study for ecology are large biological systems: populations, biocenoses, ecosystems. The subject of study is the development of these systems in time and space. Ecology is a science that seeks to solve the multitude
various theoretical and practical problems, we will highlight the most important of them. So, ecology is trying to establish patterns according to which the resources necessary for life are effectively distributed between established biocenoses, and to learn how to manage these patterns under conditions of active human intervention in natural processes.
As noted above, ecology is a very controversial discipline, and its structure is also considered ambiguous: different scientists identify different areas of its study. Let us turn to the classification according to the levels of organization of living matter studied by ecology.
- Autoecology studies individuals, the organismal level. Explores the limits of environmental conditions under which individuals can exist.
- Demecology studies the population level. Explores the conditions under which populations are formed and the relationships in them.
- Eidecology studies species. At the moment, this is the least relevant area of ecology, since the interest of researchers switches from the population level to the biocenotic one, bypassing the species level.
- Synecology studies the biocenotic level. Explores the formation, vital activity and dynamics of biocenoses.
- Global ecology studies the biosphere. Explores the problems of the latter.
Based on the basic areas of ecology, many new and more highly specialized ones are being formed. The latest departments of ecology are closely intertwined with other biological sciences, which leads toincrease the effectiveness of research in all areas involved.
Academician S. S. Schwartz said that ecology "becomes the theoretical basis of human behavior in an industrial society in nature." From this statement alone, one can judge the significance of the science we are describing. Today, ecology and nature management are studied at many universities in the Russian Federation.
