THE NATURE OF ECOLOGY he study of the ways in which organ isms interact with their environment is called ecology The word ecology was coined in 1869 by the German zoologist Ernst Haeckel who derived it from the Greek oikos which means household Economics is derived from the same word However eco nomics deals with human housekeeping while ecology concerns the housekeeping of the natural world For many years most people did not con sider ecology to be an important or even a real science By the late 20th century how ever ecology had emerged as one of the most popular and important areas of biology The effect of the environment on the organisms that inhabit it and vice versa is now acknowl edged as a key element in a wide range of issues including population growth climate change environmental pollution species extinction and human health and medicine Many public health specialists are incorporating an ecological component in IO
THE NATURE OF ECOLOGY Ernest Haeckel Hulton Archive Getty Images II
EcoLOGY THE DELIATE BALANCE OF LIFE ON EARTut programs to control infectious diseases For example the rapid spread of West Nile virus WNV in the United States in the early 21st century resulted from the interaction of environmental factors with human and animal populations Mosquitoes spread the virus by biting infected birds and then bit ing humans and other animals One study in Florida noted that the number of WNV cases was especially high for years in which a dry spring season was followed by an especially wet summer Further studies of environmen tal factors suggested that the limited water resources resulting from a dry spring may drive mosquitoes to congregate in isolated patches of dense vegetation where condi tions remain humid These humid patches also serve as nesting sites for an array of wild birds In the close quarters of this temporary home mosquitoes feed on and infect more birds than usual When conditions change and the mosquitoes break out of their group ings and scatter more people than usual will be bitten by these mosquitoes and become infected Such insights gained from recognizing environmental factors promoting infection and transmission are crucial for fighting 12
THE NATURE OF ECOLOGY Mosquitoes spread the West Nile virus by biting infected birds then biting humans Chris Johns National Geographic Image Collection Getty Images WNV and many other diseases If the ecol ogy of the organisms is known scientists can use an environmental approach to disrupt infection and the transmission of infectious diseases while treating and preventing the disease through medication and vaccination This is but one example of the numerous ways in which scientists rely on an understanding of 13
