Introduction

Abstract

Ecology is the study of organisms and their environment — and the interrelationship between the two. The term has in fact taken on a variety of other meanings in addition. Most commonly (and for want of any alternative) it has come to be used, in lower case, to denote the way of life of a particular organism: a convenient term for the relationship itself between organism and environment. More debasedly, the word ‘Ecology’ is used politically, and.usually uninformedly, as an easy analogue for the environment and its natural function or as an abbreviation for ‘Human ecology’: a sense in which we shall endeavour to avoid using it in this volume. Ecology, as we shall examine it — or the study of the ‘ecology’ of different organisms, may be considered the science of natural history — the scientific study of how animals and plants live, and why they live the way they do: a study aimed at understanding the basic underlying principles of operation of natural systems.