This document provides an overview of the field of ecology. It defines ecology as the study of relationships between organisms and their environments. The document notes that ecology involves research from many viewpoints using various techniques to understand how organisms adapt to their environments. It also outlines different levels of ecological organization from the biosphere level down to individual organisms and describes several branches of ecology such as population ecology and ecosystem ecology.

1. Lec.1 what is ecology
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2. Origin of the word “Ecology”
What is ecology study?
What ecology studying involves?
Ecology definitions
How ecology was born? (Recent history)
Role of ecology in our lives in cities
Types of Ecology
Ecology levels of organization
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3. The word ECOLOGY was invented by the German scientist
Ernst Haeckel in 1869.
 It derived from Greek origins
 OIKOS = household, home or a place to live
 LOGOS = the study of…
 Study of the “house/environment” in which we live.
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4. Non-living components in the environment…
 light
 water
 wind
 nutrients in soil
 heat
 solar radiation
 atmosphere, etc.
AND…
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5. Living organisms…
 Plants
humans
 Animals
 Micro-organisms in soil, etc.
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6. For non-living (abiotic)
 Climatology
 Hydrology زانستى ئاوى زەوى
 Oceanography زانستى زەرياكان
)ئۆقيانوسەكان(
 Physics
 Chemistry
 Geology
 soil analysis, etc.
For living (biotic)
 animal
behavior ڕەفتارى
گيانەوەر
 Taxonomy پۆلێنناسى
 Physiology كارئەندام
زانى
 mathematics
(population studies)
etc.
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7. Ecology can be defined as the study of relationships between
organisms and their environments. Although it includes the study of
environmental problems such as pollution. The science of ecology
mainly involves research on the natural world from many
viewpoints, using many techniques.
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8.  “….the study of the adaptations of organisms to their
environment” (Emlen 1973).
 “….the study of the structure and function of nature”
(Odum 1971).
 The investigation of the total relationships of the animals
both to its inorganic and its organic environment….”
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9. The science of ecology was born from the expansive curiosity of
the biologists of the late 19th century, who wished to understand
the distribution, abundance(large quantity) and interactions of
the earth's organisms.
Why do we have so many species? And why not more? they asked,
and what causes them to be distributed as they are? What are the
characteristics of a biological community that cause it to recover
in a particular way after a disturbance?
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10.  Since humans have been students of ecology as long as we have
existed as species. Then, our survival has depended upon how
well we could observe variations in the environment and predict
the response of organisms to those variations .
 Modern ecology relies comprehensively on experiments, both in
laboratory and in field settings. These techniques have proved
useful in testing ecological theories, and in arriving at practical
decisions concerning the management of natural resources.
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11. The many specialties within ecology, such as marine, vegetation,
and statistical ecology, provide us with information to better
understand the world around us. This info also can help us
improve our environment, manage our natural resources, and
protect human health.
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12. An understanding of ecology is essential for the survival of the human
species. Our populations are increasing rapidly, all around the world, and
we are in grave danger of outstripping the earth’s ability to supply the
resources that we need for our long-term survival.
Furthermore, social, economic and political factors often influence the
short-term distribution of resources needed by a specific human
population. An understanding of ecological principles can help us
understand the global and regional consequences of competition among
organisms (mainly human) for the scarce natural resources that support
us.
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13. A. ORGANISMAL ECOLOGY - the study of individual organisms'
behavior, physiology, morphology, etc. in response to
environmental challenges.
B. POPULATION ECOLOGY - the study of factors that affect and
change the size and genetic composition of populations of
organisms.
C. COMMUNITY ECOLOGY - the study of how community structure
and organization are changed by interactions among living
organisms
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14. D. ECOSYSTEM ECOLOGY - the study of entire ecosystems, including
the responses and changes in the community in response to the
abiotic components of the ecosystem. This field is concerned with
such large-scale topics as energy and nutrient cycling.
D. LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY – study of the exchanges of energy,
materials, organisms and other products of between ecosystems.
E. GLOBAL ECOLOGY - the study of the effects of regional change in
energy and matter exchange on the function and distribution of
organisms across the biosphere.
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15. - a hierarchy of organization
in the environment
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16.  Biosphere
 Surface of the earth
 Composed of many ecosystems
 Ecosystem
 Large or small as we decide
 Lake, forest, ocean…etc
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17.  Population – one species live in one place at one time
 Community – All populations (diff. species) that live
in a particular area.
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18.  Habitat – physical location of community
 Organism – simplest level of organization
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