Ecology| The word ecology was coined in 1870 by the German zoologist Ernst Haeckel from the Greek words oikos (house) and logos (logic or knowledge) to describe the scientific study of the relationships among organisms and their environment. Biologists began referring to themselves as ecologists at the end of...
Biosphere| Ecology can be studied at several levels: population level (individuals of the same species in the same or similar environment), biocenosis level (or community of species), ecosystem level, and...
Community and ecosystem interactions| Interacting groups of species are thought of as communities in which each kind of organism has a specific niche or role to play. Some organisms play minor roles while others play major roles, but...
The health effects of industrial pollution| Industrial activities are a major source of air, water and land pollution, leading to illness and loss of life all over the world. The World Health Organization estimates that outdoor air pollution alone accounts for...
Dynamics and stability| Ecological factors which affect dynamic change in a population or species in a given ecology or environment are usually divided into two groups: abiotic and biotic. Abiotic factors are geological, geographical, hydrological and...
Environmental management| Environmental Management is not, as the phrase could suggest, the management of the environment as such but rather the management of man's interaction with and impact upon the environment. The three main issues that...
Air pollution| Air pollution is a general term that covers a broad range of contaminants in the atmosphere. Pollution can occur from natural causes or from human activities. Discussions about the effects of air pollution have focused mainly on...
Pollution control| Pollution control is the process of reducing or eliminating the release of pollutants into the environment. It is regulated by various environmental agencies which establish pollutant discharge limits for...
Pollution control (2)| Water pollution control methods can be subdivided into physical, chemical, and biological treatment systems. Most treatment systems use combinations of any of these three technologies. Physical treatment systems are processes which rely on physical forces to aid in the removal of pollutants. Physical processes used in water pollution control include...
Introduction to global warming| Measurements of temperature taken by instruments all over the world, on land and at sea have revealed that during the 20th century the Earth’s surface and lowest part of the atmosphere warmed up on average by about 0.6°C. During this period, man-made emissions of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, methane and...