The Framework of Ecology: A Full Overview
Ecology:
The term “ecology” was first coined by the German biologist Ernst Haeckel in 1866. He derived it from the two Greek words “oikos” and “logos”:
- Oikos meaning “house” or “place of living.”
- Logos meaning “study” or “discourse.”
So, Ecology literally means:
“The study of the home or environment of living organisms.”
When combined, “ecology” essentially means the “study of the home” or “study of the place of living.” In this context, the “home” refers not just to the physical habitat, but the entire environment in which organisms exist. Ecology focuses on how living organisms (humans, animals, plants, microorganisms, etc.) interact with one another and their environment (air, water, soil, climate, etc.).
Objectives of Ecological Study
This studies the relationships between living organisms and their environment to help us understand natural systems and solve environmental problems. The main objectives are:
1. To Understand the Relationships Between Organisms and Environment
- Study how organisms interact with biotic factors (other living things) and abiotic factors (non-living environment like climate, soil, water).
- Understand how these interactions affect survival, growth, and reproduction.
2. To Study the Structure and Function of Ecosystems
- Examine how energy flows through food chains and webs.
- Understand how nutrients cycle through ecosystems (carbon, nitrogen, water cycles).
- Learn how ecosystems maintain balance and stability.
3. To Analyse Population Dynamics
- Study changes in population size, density, distribution, and how species adapt to environmental changes.
- Understand factors controlling population growth or decline (birth rate, death rate, migration).
4. To Investigate Biodiversity and Species Interactions
- Explore the variety of species in different environments.
- Study relationships like competition, predation, symbiosis, and how these influence community structure.
5. To Assess Human Impact on the Environment
- Understand how activities like deforestation, pollution, urbanization, and climate change affect ecosystems.
- Identify causes and consequences of environmental degradation.
6. To Develop Conservation Strategies
- Use ecological knowledge to protect endangered species and habitats.
- Promote sustainable management of natural resources like forests, water, and wildlife.
7. To Predict Environmental Changes
- Model how ecosystems respond to natural or human-induced changes.
- Help forecast the impacts of climate change, habitat loss, or invasive species.
8. To Provide a Basis for Environmental Policy and Management
- Support decisions for environmental protection, restoration, and sustainable development.
- Guide policies on pollution control, resource use, and conservation efforts.
https://environmentnotifications.in/
Division of Ecology
- On the basis of nature of study can be subdivided as:
There are two important division;
- Autecology (Individual)
- Synecology (Community)

1. Autecology (Individual)
- Definition: The study of the individual organism or species and its relationship with the environment.
- Autecology deals with the study of the individual organism or an individual species and its population. Here, the focus on life-histories and behaviour, as means of adaptation to the environment, is made. Autecology is also called “species ecology.”
- Focus: How a single species interacts with the abiotic (non-living) and biotic (living) factors of its environment.
- Key Aspects:
- Adaptations to environmental conditions (temperature, moisture, soil).
- Behaviour, physiology, and survival strategies of the species.
- Life cycle and reproductive strategies.
- Example: How a polar bear survives cold Arctic conditions or how a plant adapts to drought.
2. Synecology (Community)
- Definition: The study of groups of organisms (communities) and their interactions with each other and the environment.
- Synecology deals with the study of groups of organisms which are associated together as a unit. In other words it is study of communities, their composition, their behaviour and relation to the environment.
- Synecology is also called “Ecology of communities.”
- Focus: How different species live together, interact, and form ecological communities.
- Key Aspects:
- Species interactions like competition, predation, mutualism.
- Structure and composition of communities.
- How communities change over time (succession).
- On the basis of the kind of environment or habitat, ecology has been sub divided into the following branches:

With advancing trends in the fields of ecology present day ecologists decide ecology into the following branches:

Levels
This can also be considered in terms of the concept of levels of organisation. In ascending order of complexity, the hierarchy of organisation includes cells, organs, organisms, population, community, ecosystem, landscape, biome and the biosphere.
Hierarchy includes ‘an arrangement into a graded series’. Is concerned with levels beyond an organism.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecology
The different levels are as follows:
Organism:
An organism is the basic unit of study in ecology. At the organism level we are concerned with taxonomic position, morphological characters, reproduction, life cycle, geographical distribution, and behaviour in relation to specific environmental conditions. Similar organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring form a species.
Population:
Population denotes a group of individuals of a particular kind capable of interbreeding with one another inhabiting a particular place.
Community:
A Community includes all the populations occupying a given area.
Ecosystem:
The community and the non-living environment function together as an ecosystem.
Landscape:
It is defined as a heterogeneous area composed of a cluster of interacting ecosystems.
Biome:
Biome is a large regional or subcontinent system of characteristic vegetation type. Similar biomes share similar climatic conditions. For example, the hot deserts in the world exhibit similarity in flora and fauna.
Biosphere or the Ecosphere:
It is the largest and nearly self-sufficient biological system which includes all the living organisms of the earth interacting with the physical environment. Hierarchies in nature are nested, i.e. each level is made of groups of lower level units. For example, population is made of groups of organisms that can interbreed. In contrast, human organised hierarchies as seen in governments, military, etc., are non-nested.
Organisms interact with the environment at different time and spatial scales. For instance, a bacterium interacts with its environment within a narrow fraction of a cubic cm. A tree on the other hand interacts with its environment at a large time and spatial scale. Organisms, big or small, exchange matter and energy continuously with the environment.