DEFINITION
Ecology is the study and understanding of relationships and interactions of both living and non living organisms with their environment.
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The environment refers to the surroundings, it has two components biotic and abiotic. Biotic factors includes any organisms found within an ecosystem, including all animal life form and micro-organisms. Individual organisms effect the success of other members within their species.
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Abiotic factors are any of the physical and chemical factors which influence an ecosystem. These can include the soil sunlight, temperature etc. These factors can effect the organisms that live within an ecosystem.
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Ecology Researchers work at four levels, these levels are:
Organism / Individual
Population
Community
Ecosystem
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It is important to understand that ecology ≠environmentalism, natural history or environmental science, although it may be closely related to the studies of evolutionary biology etc.