Assigment: Forest Ecology

Why ecology is important to us.

Ecology is a scientific study of how organisms interact with each other and their environments, forms an essential component of our understanding of the world in which we live. We study ecology for two reasons: to gain the intellectual gratification that comes from understanding natural patterns and processes, and to apply that understanding to environmental problems that confront mankind. As concern rises over the human impact on the environment with mounting evidence of global warming, increasing rates of tropical deforestation, accelerating rates of species extinctions, and expanding use of genetically modified organisms, the need for ecologists to understand and address these problems has never been greater.

Whilst the challenges posed by these problems are enormous, rapid advances in ecology and related environmental sciences are spectacularly increasing our abilities to predict, detect and respond to environmental threats. The unprecedented recent increases in knowledge of organisms, their functioning, genetics, behavior, and interactions with each other are transforming our understanding of life and the best ways to protect and conserve it. The increasing use and applications of biological techniques and information are opening a wide array of new employment opportunities for life sciences graduates. As the importance of ecology has increased in society, the demand for skilled ecologists has expanded not only in environmental monitoring and waste management, but also in research and education, sustainable forestry and agriculture, conservation, bioethics, journalism, law, and a range of technical professions.

As a conclusion, ecology is important to us financially, aesthetically, and also for our simple survival on this planet. A person is a whole and complete system, and that, when making significant change to one part of that system, it was absolutely important to ensure that the system as a whole was not adversely affected. Ecology is so dynamic that even the smallest perturbation can upset everything.