Ecology:
The study of the interactions between living things and their environments is known as ecology. In ecology, everything is connected to everything else and there is a constant interaction between organisms and their environment.
The branch Ecology is further divided into Autecology, Synecology and Habitat ecology.
Autecology & Synecology are two main branches of ecology. Autecology is the study of individual organism or individual species. Synecology is the study of group of organisms of different species which are associated together as a unit in form of a community. Also known as community ecology.
Classification of Ecology:
Depending on various aspects/criteria, there are various classifications of Ecology.
Based on study area or level of organization:
(1) Autecology
(2) Synecology
Autecology: It deals with the study of an individual species of organisms and its population. The Ecologist studies the behavior and adaptations of particular species to the environmental condition of every stage of that individual's life cycle. It is also called the Species Ecology.
Synecology: It deals with the study of group of organisms which are associated together as a unit, i.e., communities, their compositions, their behavior and relation to environment. It is also calld as ecology of communities.
It is further divided in to 3 types. (a) Population Ecology, (b) Community Ecology, (c) Ecosystem Ecology.
Key differences between Autecology and Synecology
Autecology:
- It is the study of individual organism or individual species or a population in relation to their environment.
- It is also called as population ecology.
- The study is at the level of an individual, a population or an entire species.
- Autecology is comparatively simple experimental and inductive.
- Autecology studies can be accommodated in a laboratory setup and data is interpreted using conventional mathematical tools.
- Example: Study of Zebra population in relation to its environment (may be factors like rainfall, hunting, lion population etc in a grassland ecosystem) see the figure (in dotted black lines)
Synecology:
- It is the study of group of organisms or many species or communities in relation to their environment.
- It is also called as community ecology.
- Synecology is concerned with study of the highest level of biological organization; many populations in an area (called as community) interacting with each other and also with the environment. It can even be the study of an ecosystem.
- Synecology is complex, philosophical and deductive. (Refer: Inductive vs Deductive)
- Synecology studies refers to the interaction of a whole system and that cannot be accommodated in a laboratory setup as the system is naturally formed after interactions of hundreds of years such as a forest ecosystem
- Example:Study of entire grassland ecosystem (including all the species or communities) see the figure (in green thick border)