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Ecology

Why study Ecology? As ecology is the study of the distribution and abundance of organisms, ecologists attempt to understand the complex factors that determine why certain organisms are found in the places where they exist, and not in others. Perhaps the main driving force for myself, is the pure desire for a better understanding of organisms, and the applications of this understanding to our real world. There is an increasing demand on those who study ecology to provide solutions for the causes of many environmental problems that now face human societies. It is becoming abundantly clear that our role in natural ecosystem balance is not well understood. As human populations increase in numbers, and technology improves, our potential impact on the natural ecosystems of which we are an integral part, is increasingly great, and becomes more noticeable.

Aerial View of Key West, Florida

Obviously, it is critical to our continued successful survival on earth that we better understand our impact more fully. As it turns out, ecologists are well equipped to solve these problems, or at least to predict their long- and short-term effects.

Hudson Bay

One undeniable consequence of these environmental problems is a rapid loss of biodiversity in the ecosystems that are effected. Paradoxically, though there seems to be a general rule that loss of biodiversity is something to be avoided, many ecologists are not yet sure of exactly why this should be the case.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

©2007 W.S.Davis