A message about what the science of ecology studies. Ecology as a science

Ecology (from Greek. oikos - house and logo- doctrine) - the science of the laws of interaction of living organisms with their environment.

German biologist is considered the founder of ecology E. Haeckel(1834-1919), who first used the term in 1866 "ecology". He wrote: “By ecology we mean the general science of the relationship between an organism and the environment, which includes all “conditions of existence” in the broad sense of the word. They are partly organic and partly inorganic in nature.”

This science was originally biology, which studies populations of animals and plants in their environment.

Ecology studies systems at a level above the individual organism. The main objects of its study are:

• population - a group of organisms belonging to the same or similar species and occupying a certain territory;
• , including the biotic community (the totality of populations in the territory under consideration) and habitat;
• - area of ​​distribution of life on Earth.

To date, ecology has gone beyond the scope of biology itself and has turned into an interdisciplinary science that studies the most complex problems of human interaction with the environment. Ecology has traveled a difficult and lengthy path to understanding the “man-nature” problem, relying on research in the “organism-environment” system.

The interaction of Man with Nature has its own specifics. Man is endowed with reason, and this gives him the opportunity to realize his place in nature and purpose on Earth. Since the beginning of the development of civilization, Man has been thinking about his role in nature. Being, of course, part of nature, man created a special habitat, which is called human civilization. As it developed, it increasingly came into conflict with nature. Now humanity has already come to the realization that further exploitation of nature may threaten its own existence.

The urgency of this problem, caused by the worsening environmental situation on a planetary scale, has led to "greening"- To the need to take into account environmental laws and requirements- in all sciences and in all human activity.

Ecology is currently called the science of man’s “own home” - the biosphere, its characteristics, interaction and relationship with man, and man with the entire human society.

Ecology is not only an integrated discipline where physical and biological phenomena are connected, it forms a kind of bridge between the natural and social sciences. It is not one of the disciplines with a linear structure, i.e. It does not develop vertically - from simple to complex - it develops horizontally, covering an ever wider range of issues from various disciplines.

No single science is capable of solving all the problems associated with improving the interaction between society and nature, since this interaction has social, economic, technological, geographical and other aspects. Only integrated (generalizing) science, which is what modern ecology is, can solve these problems.

Thus, from a dependent discipline within biology, ecology has turned into a complex interdisciplinary science - modern ecology- with a pronounced ideological component. Modern ecology has gone beyond the boundaries of not only biology, but also in general. The ideas and principles of modern ecology are ideological in nature, therefore ecology is connected not only with the sciences of man and culture, but also with philosophy. Such serious changes allow us to conclude that, despite more than a century of environmental history, modern ecology is a dynamic science.

Goals and objectives of modern ecology

One of the main goals of modern ecology as a science is the study of basic laws and the development of the theory of rational interaction in the “man - society - nature” system, considering human society as an integral part of the biosphere.

The main goal of modern ecology at this stage of development of human society - to lead Humanity out of the global environmental crisis onto the path of sustainable development, in which the satisfaction of the vital needs of the current generation will be achieved without depriving future generations of such an opportunity.

To achieve these goals, environmental science will have to solve a number of diverse and complex problems, including:

• develop theories and methods for assessing the sustainability of ecological systems at all levels;
• explore the mechanisms of regulation of population numbers and biotic diversity, the role of biota (flora and fauna) as a regulator of the stability of the biosphere;
• study and create forecasts of changes in the biosphere under the influence of natural and anthropogenic factors;
• assess the state and dynamics of natural resources and the environmental consequences of their consumption;
• develop methods for managing environmental quality;
• to form an understanding of the problems of the biosphere and the ecological culture of society.

Surrounding us living environment is not a disorderly and random combination of living beings. It is a stable and organized system that developed in the process of evolution of the organic world. Any systems can be modeled, i.e. it is possible to predict how a particular system will react to external influences. A systems approach is the basis for studying environmental problems.

The structure of modern ecology

Currently, ecology divided into a number of scientific branches and disciplines, sometimes far from the original understanding of ecology as a biological science about the relationship of living organisms with the environment. However, all modern trends in ecology are based on fundamental ideas bioecology, which today represents a combination of various scientific directions. So, for example, they distinguish autecology, exploring the individual connections of an individual organism with the environment; population ecology, dealing with the relationships between organisms that belong to the same species and live in the same territory; synecology, which comprehensively studies groups, communities of organisms and their relationships in natural systems (ecosystems).

Modern ecology is a complex of scientific disciplines. Basic is general ecology, studying the basic patterns of relationships between organisms and environmental conditions. Theoretical ecology explores the general patterns of the organization of life, including in connection with the anthropogenic impact on natural systems.

Applied ecology studies the mechanisms of human destruction of the biosphere and ways to prevent this process, and also develops principles for the rational use of natural resources. Applied ecology is based on a system of laws, rules and principles of theoretical ecology. The following scientific directions are distinguished from applied ecology.

Ecology of the biosphere, studying global changes occurring on our planet as a result of the impact of human economic activity on natural phenomena.

Industrial ecology, studying the impact of enterprise emissions on the environment and the possibilities of reducing this impact by improving technologies and treatment facilities.

Agricultural ecology, which studies ways to produce agricultural products without depleting soil resources while preserving the environment.

Medical ecology, which studies human diseases associated with environmental pollution.

Geoecology, studying the structure and functioning mechanisms of the biosphere, the connection and interrelation of biosphere and geological processes, the role of living matter in the energy and evolution of the biosphere, the participation of geological factors in the emergence and evolution of life on Earth.

Mathematical ecology models environmental processes, i.e. changes in nature that can occur when environmental conditions change.

Economic ecology develops economic mechanisms for rational use of natural resources and environmental protection.

Legal ecology develops a system of laws aimed at protecting nature.

Engineering ecology - A relatively new direction of environmental science, it studies the interaction of technology and nature, the patterns of formation of regional and local natural-technical systems and methods of managing them in order to protect the natural environment and ensure environmental safety. It ensures compliance of equipment and technology of industrial facilities with environmental requirements

Social ecology arose quite recently. Only in 1986 did the first conference dedicated to the problems of this science take place in Lvov. The science of “home”, or the habitat of society (person, society), studies the planet Earth, as well as space - as the living environment of society.

Human ecology - part of social ecology, which considers the interaction of man as a biosocial being with the world around him.

- one of the new independent branches of human ecology - the science of quality of life and health.

Synthetic evolutionary ecology- a new scientific discipline, including particular areas of ecology - general, bio-, geo- and social.

A brief historical path to the development of ecology as a science

In the history of the development of ecology as a science, three main stages can be distinguished. First stage - the origin and development of ecology as a science (until the 1960s), when data on the relationship of living organisms with their habitat was accumulated, the first scientific generalizations were made. During the same period, the French biologist Lamarck and the English priest Malthus for the first time warned humanity about the possible negative consequences of human influence on nature.

Second phase - formalization of ecology into an independent branch of knowledge (after the 1960s to the 1950s). The beginning of the stage was marked by the publication of works by Russian scientists K.F. Roulier, N.A. Severtseva, V.V. Dokuchaev, who first substantiated a number of principles and concepts of ecology. After Charles Darwin's research in the field of evolution of the organic world, the German zoologist E. Haeckel was the first to understand that what Darwin called the “struggle for existence” represents an independent field of biology, and called it ecology(1866).

Ecology finally took shape as an independent science at the beginning of the 20th century. During this period, the American scientist C. Adams created the first summary on ecology, and other important generalizations were published. The largest Russian scientist of the 20th century. IN AND. Vernadsky creates a fundamental doctrine of the biosphere.

In the 1930-1940s, the English botanist A. Tansley (1935) first put forward concept of "ecosystem", and a little later V. Ya. Sukachev(1940) substantiated a concept close to him about biogeocenosis.

Third stage(1950s - to the present) - the transformation of ecology into a complex science, including the sciences of protecting the human environment. Simultaneously with the development of the theoretical foundations of ecology, applied issues related to ecology were also being resolved.

In our country, in the 1960-1980s, almost every year the government adopted resolutions to strengthen nature protection; Land, water, forest and other codes were published. However, as the practice of their use has shown, they did not give the required results.

Today Russia is experiencing an environmental crisis: about 15% of the territory is actually an environmental disaster zone; 85% of the population breathe air polluted significantly above the MPC. The number of “environmentally caused” diseases is growing. There is degradation and reduction of natural resources.

A similar situation has developed in other countries of the world. The question of what will happen to humanity in the event of degradation of natural ecological systems and the loss of the biosphere’s ability to maintain biochemical cycles is becoming one of the most pressing.

Ecology is a science that studies the laws of nature, the interaction of living organisms with the environment, the foundations of which were laid by Ernst Haeckel in 1866. However, people have been interested in the secrets of nature since ancient times and had a careful attitude towards it. There are hundreds of concepts of the term “ecology”; at different times, scientists gave their own definitions of ecology. The word itself consists of two particles, from Greek “oikos” is translated as house, and “logos” is translated as doctrine.

With the development of technological progress, the state of the environment began to deteriorate, which attracted the attention of the world community. People have noticed that the air has become polluted, species of animals and plants are disappearing, and the water in rivers is deteriorating. These and many other phenomena were given a name -.

Global environmental problems

Most environmental problems have grown from local to global. Changing a small ecosystem in a specific place in the world can affect the ecology of the entire planet. For example, a change in the oceanic Gulf Stream will lead to major climate changes and a cooling of the climate in Europe and North America.

Today, scientists count dozens of global environmental problems. We present only the most relevant of them, which threaten life on the planet:

• - changing of the climate;
• — depletion of fresh water reserves;
• - reduction of populations and extinction of species;
• — depletion of mineral resources;

This is not the entire list of global problems. Let's just say that environmental problems that can be equated to a disaster are pollution of the biosphere and. Every year the air temperature rises by +2 degrees Celsius. The reason for this is greenhouse gases. A world conference dedicated to environmental problems was held in Paris, at which many countries around the world pledged to reduce gas emissions. As a result of the high concentration of gases, the ice at the poles melts, the water level rises, which in the future threatens the flooding of islands and the coasts of continents. To prevent the impending catastrophe, it is necessary to develop joint actions and carry out activities that will help slow down and stop the process of global warming.

Subject of study of ecology

At the moment there are several sections of ecology:

• — general ecology;
• — bioecology;

Each section of ecology has its own subject of study. The most popular is general ecology. She studies the surrounding world, which consists of ecosystems, their individual components - relief, soil, flora and fauna.

The importance of ecology for every person

Caring for the environment has become a fashionable activity today; the phrase “eco” is used everywhere. But many of us do not even realize the depth of all the problems. Of course, it is good that the vast humanity of people has become indifferent to the life of our planet. However, it is worth realizing that the state of the environment depends on each person.

Any inhabitant of the planet can perform simple actions every day that will help improve the environment. For example, you can recycle waste paper and reduce water use, save energy and throw garbage in the trash bin, grow plants and use reusable items. The more people follow these rules, the greater the chance of saving our planet.

Ecology is the science of the interaction of flora, fauna and humanity with each other and the environment.

What does ecology study?? The objects of ecology study can be individual populations, genera, families, biocenoses, etc. At the same time, the relationships between different organisms and their effects on natural systems are studied.

Ecological problems

The main environmental problems are:

• Extermination of flora and fauna;
• unsustainable mining;
• pollution of the world's oceans and atmosphere;
• ozone layer depletion;
• reduction of fertile lands;
• destruction of natural landscapes.

History of environmental development

To the question: “What is ecology?” tried to answer long before our era, when people first began to think about the world around them and human interaction with it. The ancient scientists Aristotle and Hippocrates touched on this topic in their treatises.

The term “ecology” was proposed in 1866 by the German scientist E. Haeckel, who described the relationship between living and inanimate nature in his work “General Morphology”.

Stages of development

There are 4 stages of environmental development

Stage I. The first stage is associated with the work of ancient philosophers and their students, who collected information about the world around them and studied the basics of morphology and anatomy.

Stage II. The second stage began with the advent of the term “ecology” in science; during this period Darwin worked actively, with his evolutionary theory and natural selection, which became central issues for the ecological science of those times.

Stage III. The third stage is characterized by the accumulation of information and its systematization. Vernadsky creates the doctrine of the biosphere. The first textbooks and brochures on ecology appear.

Stage IV. The fourth stage continues to this day and is associated with the massive dissemination of environmental principles and laws in all countries. Environmental problems have become a pressing issue of international importance. Now ecology is studying these problems and finding the optimal solution.

The basic environmental laws were formulated by Barry Commoner, and they sound like this:

First Law- everything is connected to everything.

Human actions always affect the state of the environment, causing harm or benefit. In the future, according to the law of feedback, this influence will affect the person.

Second Law- everything has to go somewhere.

The issue of waste disposal is very acute. This law confirms that it is not enough to simply create landfills for garbage; it is necessary to develop technologies for its processing, otherwise the consequences will be unpredictable.

Third Law- nature “knows” better.

There is no need to try to restructure nature for yourself; massive cutting down of trees, drying out swamps, and attempts to control natural phenomena do not lead to anything good. Everything created before man went through many tests on the path of evolution and only a few were able to survive to this day, so you should not interfere in the world around you every time to satisfy your needs.

Fourth Law- nothing comes for free.

This law reminds people that they need to use natural resources rationally. By saving on environmental protection, humanity is doomed to diseases caused by deteriorating quality of water, air, and food.

Ecological tasks

1. The study of the influence of the environment on the life of the organisms that live in it.
2. Studying the role of man and his anthropogenic impact on natural systems.
3. Study of adaptation mechanisms to changing environmental conditions.
4. Preserving the integrity of the biosphere.
5. Development of rational plans for the use of natural resources.
6. Prediction of adverse consequences for the environment due to anthropogenic influence.
7. Protecting nature and restoring lost natural systems.
8. Propaganda among the population of a culture of behavior and respect for nature.
9. Development of technologies that can solve the main environmental problems - air and water pollution, accumulation of unprocessed waste.

How does ecology affect humans?

There are three types of environmental influences on the human body:

• Abiotic- the action of inanimate nature.
• Biotic- influence of living beings.
• Anthropogenic– consequences of human influence.

Fresh air, clean water, and a moderate amount of ultraviolet radiation have a beneficial effect on humans. Watching animals and making friends with them brings aesthetic pleasure.

The adverse effects are mainly associated with the activities of the person himself. Air polluted with chemicals and toxic substances causes significant damage to health. Fertilizing the soil, killing crop pests with toxic agents, and introducing growth stimulants negatively affect the condition of the soil; as a result, we consume foods high in toxins, which leads to the development of gastrointestinal pathology.

Why is it necessary to preserve the environment?

We are surrounded by modern technology that makes life easier and more comfortable. Every day we use transport, mobile phones and many other things that are gradually destroying the environment. This further affects the health of the population and life expectancy.

Today, the environment is in a difficult state: natural resources are running out, many species of animals and plants are on the verge of extinction, acid rain is increasingly occurring, the number of ozone holes is increasing, etc.

Such an unfavorable situation leads to changes in ecosystems; entire areas become unsuitable for human and animal habitation. The number of cancer diseases, heart pathologies, disorders of the nervous system, and respiratory organs is growing. Increasingly, children are born with congenital defects and chronic diseases (bronchial asthma, allergies).

Humanity must think as soon as possible about its harmful impact on the world around us and begin to solve global environmental problems. A person cannot live without oxygen for even five minutes, but every day the air is increasingly polluted by people: exhaust gases, waste from industrial enterprises.

Water shortage will lead to the extinction of all flora and fauna and climate change. Clean water is also necessary for a person who may die from dehydration or serious diseases that are transmitted through water.

Therefore, every person needs to take care of the environment, starting with cleaning the yard, streets, checking the technical condition of the car, and observing waste disposal rules. People must stop destroying their own home, otherwise the threat of extinction of life on the planet will become real.

“Environmentalists demand this”, “ecologists demand that”, “ecologists are fighting for....” - in recent years we have heard this especially often. Who are these environmentalists and why are they always so determined to fight and demand? What kind of science is ecology anyway?

Surely, many of you will say that you already know everything, saying ecology is a science that studies the state of the environment. In fact, everything is much more complicated: the meaning that this fundamental discipline carries is much deeper than just the study of certain processes. Ecology studies the connection of all terrestrial living organisms (humans, of course, too) with each other, as well as with their habitat.

Why is there so much talk these days about the importance of this science? Yes, because if humanity does not learn to comply with all its laws today, tomorrow we may find ourselves on the verge of an environmental disaster. However, first things first.

The literal meaning of the term ecology is the science of habitats (Greek “oy kos” - homeland, home; “logos” - science).. By the way, this science belongs to the category of young ones, because it became independent only at the beginning last century. It receives its rapid development due to the growing population of our planet and, accordingly, the increasing influence of humans on the environment and all its inhabitants.

As we said above, ecology establishes the relationship between all types of living organisms and the environment, that is, it studies the influence of certain factors on the life of a certain species. Factors that can affect the habitual way of life of organisms are divided into physicochemical, biotic and anthropogenic.

With physico-chemical, everything is more or less clear, these are the temperature regime, the level of humidity and illumination, the condition of the soil, weather conditions, the amount of precipitation, etc. What are the other factors?

Biotic is the result of the influence of living organisms on each other.

Anthropogenic – the impact of human activity on the environment. This helps us, people, determine our role in the world around us and draw appropriate conclusions: how to rationally use natural resources (the reserves of some of them, by the way, are extremely scarce). There is no doubt: when a person interferes with nature without knowing basic environmental rules, this leads to irreversible natural processes, the consequences of which are unpredictable. And there are a lot of examples of this.

In order to establish this entire relationship, a thorough study of all life processes and natural phenomena is necessary. Therefore, this science combines many subsciences. Ecology of animals and plants, seas and oceans, forests and steppes, ecology of cities and humans, there is even atmospheric and space ecology, and these are not all ecological subsciences. Ecology itself is closely related to disciplines such as botany and zoology.

It's not hard to guess what the environmentalists' work site is. This is the entire environment around us. And the subjects for study are plants, animals, humans and the habitat of all forms of life on earth. By the way, for this, knowledge alone is not enough. This requires good technical equipment, ranging from various thermometers and measuring instruments, to SUVs and helicopters.

What role do knowledge and discoveries in the field of ecology play for each of us? Huge! After all, it is thanks to this science that we can understand how life on Earth works, what we can and must do to ensure that it continues.

We would like to complete our superficial acquaintance with the science of ecology by naming its main features, which were once formulated by the famous biologist Barry Commoner:

“Everything is connected to everything. Everything has to go somewhere. Nothing comes for free. Nature knows best..."

Man and nature are inseparable. From ancient times, he used the gifts of nature: he collected plants suitable for food, hunted animals, and caught fish. The human impact on nature at that time was small and unnoticeable. Gathering was replaced by agriculture. People cut down and burned forests for crops. In their place fields and plantations appeared. Irrigation canals were built in arid areas, swampy areas were drained, and river beds were changed. With the growth of cities, industrial enterprises, and the emergence of new types of transport, human influence on nature increased even more. As a result, the area occupied by forests decreased, the number of species of plants and animals decreased, and rivers and seas became shallow. A huge amount of industrial and household waste began to be thrown into the environment, which pollutes the air, soil, causes the death of plants and animals, and human illnesses. Word "ECOLOGY"(from the Greek "eikos" - dwelling, house and "logos" - science). The science of ecology studies the interaction of living organisms and their habitat, the impact of human activities on nature; the consequence of this activity teaches human communication with nature, understanding the need for its protection and conservation. Studying nature allows us to answer many questions: What harm does excessive deforestation cause? What are the dangers of mass collection of bouquets? Why are visits to forests and meadows undesirable in spring? Knowledge about nature is necessary in the construction of factories and factories, roads and canals. What needs to be done to make our cities clean, green and beautiful. What should we do to save our rivers and reservoirs, to protect flora and fauna. It is everyone’s duty to protect and increase the wealth of our Earth. After all, the Earth is the home of all humanity.

Question: What does ecology study?

What is the role of nature in human life?

What nature conservation activities are taking place in our area?

What is your involvement in conservation? (planted a tree, looked after the plantings, cleared the area of ​​debris). Complete the list provided.

All options are closed.

There are 6 comments. to the topic: “Lesson 1. What does ecology study?”

When you hear the word “ecology”, you want to answer very sublimely so that it reaches all people. Ecology is the science of organisms in their environment.
All creatures on Earth do not live on their own, but in interaction with each other and with the environment that surrounds them. It is these interactions that ecology studies. As long as there is balance in nature (plants have enough soil nutrients, animals have enough plant matter, humans have enough food and resources), ecology remains a science about which people know little. But as soon as the balance is disturbed, an ecological crisis arises, and this science becomes one of the most important.
Nature plays both material and spiritual significance in human life. Material, since nature itself gives us food, shelter, clothing. And, it would seem, this idea is very simple, therefore, adhering to this view, a person should be grateful to nature. If there is no such feeling, then at least you need to understand a simple thing: without plowing, without fertilizing the field, there is no point in hoping that next year you will have bread on the table. The spiritual significance of nature in human life, in my opinion, began to be lost a long time ago when people began to pay more attention to themselves, their inner world, and not to their relationships with the outside world.
First of all, you need to start planting trees (the more, the better), and take care of the cleanliness of the streets and courtyards.
There is a school garden at the school in which we work.
We periodically clean the area near the school.

• Ekaterina, I am very pleased that you are interested in issues related to ecology. The good thing is that you take an active part in activities to improve the state of the environment.

Ecology is the science of the relationships of plant and animal organisms to each other and to their environment.
Ecology studies the impact of humans on the environment. This is very important because we live in an industrial city.
Lately our city has become cleaner and more beautiful. I would like there to be more green spaces, different parks, so that you can relax.
My participation in nature conservation is that I try not to litter on the street and make comments to my friends so that they do not behave like that.

• Andrey, you’re just great for not being shy about making comments to people who don’t keep our territory clean.

Ecology initially arose as a science about the habitat of living organisms: plants, animals (including humans), fungi, bacteria and viruses, about the relationships between organisms and their environment, and about the relationships of organisms with each other. Ecology is often defined as the science of the relationships of organisms with each other and with the environment. Modern Ecology also intensively studies problems of interaction between man and the biosphere.
Nature is a large and interesting world that surrounds us. Life doesn’t stop here for a minute. We live in this world. We are surrounded by many objects. They are created by human hands. These are buildings, roads, bridges, clothing, shoes, cars, furniture, computers. But there are many objects that arose on their own, without human help: earth and water, trees and animals, the sun and sky. This is nature.
Man is also a part of nature. This does not mean that people can do whatever they want in nature. We must be attentive to it: help animals and birds, take care of plants, conserve water, land and air. Many people prefer to spend their free time outdoors. Tourism and urban sprawl can destroy the habitats of animals and plants. Natural resources are non-renewable and subject to depletion. Therefore, it is necessary to save raw materials.
Environmental pollution harms the health of all living beings. Smoke from forest fires, emissions from industrial enterprises, and transport damage the environment.
Some people throw garbage into rivers or set up garbage dumps on the streets. Waste and toxic discharges, once in the water, harm fish and aquatic animals, and also cause diseases in both animals and people. Car exhaust fumes pollute the air. The natural environment is seriously contaminated, and it is very difficult to eliminate the pollution. To keep the nature around us clean, the government passes laws to prevent pollution. But our lives and the lives of those living on the planet can change for the better. If each of us treats all living things with attention and love.
Nature is what is on Earth. And the earth is a home for all creatures living on it. And everyone has the right to live on it.
Man himself destroys nature. He builds plants and factories, thereby polluting nature with chemical waste that he himself breathes. Exterminates rare animals and plants listed in the Red Book.
Outside the city, when going on vacation, he leaves mountains of garbage. Lights fires under trees, which turn into huge fires that destroy all living things.
Man must protect nature from himself. He should not unnecessarily kill, tear, break, destroy, destroy, litter. He must love!
If a person wants to live well, then he must take care of nature!
The easiest. What any of us can do: clean up the area, take part in landscaping the area, and prevent fires from occurring in the spring and summer.
And I really want to tell everyone: “People, don’t litter (there are “trash cans” on the streets for garbage). When my family and I went to the beach, I collected all the trash on the beach and burned it in the fire. People who travel outside the city often leave behind a lot of garbage. It's unpleasant to watch!

Lately there has been a lot of talk about ecology. I think that ecology is the state of the environment.
After all, nature plays a major role in human life, because... we depend on it.
My participation in nature conservation: I constantly take part in cleaning the school grounds, and recently I put out a fire left by someone in the forest.