What is ecology in biology?

Ecology is the branch of biological science that shows how organisms interact with their environment and other organisms. Each organism has complex interactions with members of its species as well as members of other species. There are several selective pressures on organisms due to these complex relationships. Together, the pressures result in natural selection, which drives the evolution of species populations. Ecology is the study of forces, what causes them, and the intricate interactions between living things and one another, as well as between living things and the nonliving world. Organisms interact with the environment and other organisms.

Different levels of ecological study: A single individual to the entire biosphere are just a few of the various geographical scales that ecology research takes into account. Organism, population, community, ecosystem, landscape, and biosphere are the main ecological research levels.

• Organism: Ecology at the organismal level is interested in the adaptations that enable individuals to live in specific habitats. These adaptations can be morphological, physiological, and behavioural.
• Population: A population is a group of interbreeding organisms that are members of the same species living in the same area at the same time. The population may have natural or artificial boundaries: natural boundaries might be rivers, mountains, or deserts, while examples of artificial boundaries include mowed grass, artificial structures, or roads.
• Community: A biological community consists of populations of different species living in the same area at the same time. Community ecologists are interested in the interactions within and among these species and the processes driving these interactions.
• Ecosystem: Ecosystem ecology is the extension of community ecology and organismal population. The ecosystem is composed of all the biotic components (living organisms) in an area along with the abiotic components (non-living factors) of that area.
• Landscape: Landscape ecology deals with the connectivity between ecosystems, including the movement of organisms and compounds between ecosystems and the effect of boundaries or edges where different ecosystems come into contact.
• Biosphere: Biosphere is the broadest level of ecology that consists of all the habitats of the organisms living on the earth. Global ecological questions include the impacts of atmospheric and oceanic currents, the role of greenhouse gas concentrations in the global energy budget, the effects of climate change on ecosystems and organisms, etc.