Words / B2

i-KOL-uh-jee/ɪˈkɒlədʒi/

Ecology is how living things relate to their environment, and the study of that: marine ecology; the ecology of the estuary. Ecological is the adjective (already in the dictionary); ecosystem is a related noun (already in the dictionary). Environment is wider. A barrage changed the estuary’s ecology. Do not use ecology as a trendy synonym of “being green” in a methods paragraph — be specific.

Meaning

The relationships between living things and their environment; also the study of those relationships.

Examples

• “The estuary’s ecology changed after the new barrage.”
• “She took ecology as an A-level option, which is the subject sense.”

Good to know

marine / urban ecology; the ecology of. Adjective: ecological. Related: ecosystem / environment. Science papers and conservation news. Not a vague “eco” label.

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