Ecology Essay

Define and explain the term ecology? What is an active eco-system?

Ecology is defined as the scientific study of the interactions of living organisms with each other and with both their physical and chemical environment. It examines the entire scope of life from the microscopic organisms such as bacteria to mega processes that traverse the whole planet. Ecologists analyze many different and complex relations among the many lives on the earth. The areas of interest to an ecologist include diversity, distribution, population of various organisms, and competition or other interactions between these organisms within and among various ecosystems.

Ecologists study ecology and they primarily pursue to explain: life processes, their interactions and adaptations; the movement of energy and materials through communities of living things, the formation of ecosystems and the distribution of organisms within the environment.

Living organisms together with other environmental resources constitute ecosystems which maintain mechanisms that moderate processes acting on both living and nonliving components of the planet. Further the ecosystems sustain life-supporting functions and produce natural capital such as food and fuel, regulate the climate, soil formation among others. An active ecosystem has integral autonomy and can effectively maintain its organization over a period of time. It has the ability to resist external stresses that threaten its existence.

How is our region of the planet organized?

Ecology encompasses a wide scope of interacting levels of organization cutting across from micro level to planetary events. Ecology is organized into five main levels. The lowest is the individual which denotes any living organism. The activities of ...

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...agement, protection of wildlife and natural resources, solid waste management among others. In addition, policies addressing energy, toxic substances regulation and industrial waste are included. These are aimed at increasing the awareness of organizations on the environmental risks and enhance their initiatives in protecting nature.

Areas of special interest are protected areas. Major categories of areas of special interest are biological and geological. Biological areas are selected for various groups of living things such as birds or reptiles. Conservation of such areas aims to perpetuate both the natural and artificial processes that resulted in the development and survival of these areas. Geological areas consist significant geological features such as strata with insect or plant fossil. The designation of these areas helps in their protection and conservation.