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| Ecology: Concept |
Ecology is the scientific study of ecosystems, which are generally defined as local units of nature, consisting of the aggregate of plants, animals, the physical environment, and their interactions.
Ecosystems consist of both biotic (living) and abiotic (nonliving) components. Biotic components include plants, animals, and microorganisms. The abiotic components are the physical factors of the ecosystem. The roots of ecology can be traced to the writings of early Greek philosophers such as Aristotle and Theophrastus, who were keen observers of plants and animals in their natural habitats.
During the nineteenth century, German biogeographer Alexander von Humboldt and English naturalist Charles Darwin wrote detailed descriptions of their travels. They recognized that the distribution of living things is determined by such factors as rainfall, temperature, and soil.