Importance of ecology

Definition of ecology as an environmental science with a broad base in human activity.- Ecology is a very important science because it studies the relationship of living beings with their environment. environment, including in the former the so-called biotic factors (such as bacteria, plants, animals, people...) and in the latter the abiotic ones stand out, or also inert beings, which make up chemical substances (such as salt, nitrogen, nutrients...), and environmental physical aspects (such as light, water, heat, air ).

Although Ecology can be considered a branch of Biology, it is a multidisciplinary science, since it requires other specialized areas for its research, such as Physics or Geology. In addition, it also implies the study of social issues, that is, related to the human being and the effect that it, as the most destructive animal known, generates on the planet.

The relationship of the environment and its inhabitants: the reason for the connection of both for Ecology

We must not forget that Ecology studies all living beings, as well as inert beings and their relationships in the global environment of the planet, calling all this zone of interaction of life, Biosphere. What is the Biosphere? This is a word that we hear a lot about but that we rarely stop to reflect on it.

Although the term is relatively modern, since it was in 1869 when the biologist Ernst Haenkel used it for the first time conjugating in the Greek words Oikos and Logos, which make up the message of "home study", there are very ancient references to the study and observation of living beings in their habitat or environment. But we can thank the eighteenth-century physiologists for the deepest studies on the relationship between animal and plant life (biotic factors) with water, light, temperature, oxygen, etc... (abiotic factors).

The last push to this modern science in history was given by evolutionists, when trying to demonstrate the adaptation of species to environmental adversities in order to survive. Among them, the contribution of the Darwin family (grandfather and grandson) stands out, with their studies and investigations that established evolution and the fact that that species adapt to environmental conditions but that only those specimens prepared to transform are the ones that they survive.

We do not want to indicate that his theory of evolution is completely true, (he is yet to see a monkey or mouse become a human, or take a step in this sense) but his studies and those of his colleagues on the relationship of living beings and their environment did remain as a contribution to Ecology.

The difficult relationship of the human being with the environment: love or hate?

We have to take into account that in the same way that animals transform or are transformed by the environment and in this connection the science of ecology is born, it is also clear that human beings, like animals, suffer from the consequences of such symbiotic relationship. But unlike what happens with other animals, man is the only one who can alter the environment in which he lives in search of a better quality of subsistence.

Of course, it will not be the same when the transformation is generated by 100 people than by millions of people constantly everywhere. In this way, the actions of the human being generate not only changes but damage to the Biosphere that in many cases already acquire the value of irremediable and therefore Ecology stands as the only possibility of improvement or at least awareness to prevent the problem from spreading. dig deep

This knowledge of the relationship between living beings and their environment gave rise to the Movements and Associations of Ecologists that arise from late 1980s and who try to protect the Biosphere from those who damage it out of ignorance or selfishness, wanting to take advantage of their resources and thereby harming all beings and the planet we live on, even endangering the continuity of life on earth. Land. We thank the environmental groups that carry out activities of information and legal defense of Nature seeking the common good.

Photo 2: iStock. horst gerlach