Ecological is a term that refers to the study of ecosystems. Ecosystems are composed of abiotic, or non-living, components and biotic, or living, components. The study of ecological systems seeks to understand how these two types of components interact with each other to produce the patterns and processes that we see in nature.
The field of ecology is divided into several sub-disciplines, each of which examines a different aspect of ecosystem structure and function. For example, community ecologists study the interactions between different species within an ecosystem; population ecologists examine how populations of individual organisms change over time; and landscape ecologists explore how ecosystems are structured at larger spatial scales.
Ecological research often relies on mathematical models to make predictions about how ecosystems will respond to changes in their environment. This type of research has led to important insights into topics such as global climate change, species invasions, and habitat fragmentation.
Ecology is a dynamic field of science that is constantly evolving as we learn more about the complex interactions between humans and the natural world.