ecology

the discipline that studies the relationships between organisms and their environment. ecology bridges eco (ecosystem dynamics), bio (the organisms themselves), and geo (the physical substrates they inhabit)

in the crystal, ecology spans three domains:

eco — symbiosis, food webs, succession, nutrient cycling, extinction event

bio — species, populations, evolution, adaptation, genetics

geo — biome, climate, soil, biomes, landscape

branches

population ecology → bio + eco (growth, regulation, competition)

community ecology → eco (species interactions, diversity, assembly)

ecosystem ecology → eco + energo (energy flow, carbon cycle, nitrogen cycle, water cycle)

landscape ecology → eco + geo (spatial patterns, habitat fragmentation)

conservation biology → eco + bio (extinction event, biodiversity, restoration)

agroecology → eco + tech (permaculture, agriculture, food sovereignty)