Ecology involves scientific investigations of interactions among living organisms and the relationships of these organisms and their environment . It allows you to combine an interest in living organisms with a love for outdoor activities. There are many fascinating questions to be answered, and the Ecology Program is designed to equip you with the knowledge and practical experience to investigate such questions. At the individual level, ecologists describe how particular environmental factors affect individual organisms, particularly their chances of survival and reproduction. Ecologists studying populations of a particular species attempt to determine the causes of fluctuations in numbers and limits to distribution.
Populations are usually the unit that is managed by biologists.
Studies at the community level deal with groupings of many species living in a particular area. In addition, the functioning of communities is analysed in terms of nutrient cycles and the pathways by which energy flows through communities. Methods used in these three approaches are diverse and include much field observation out of doors, laboratory experiments, manipulative experiments in the field, natural experiments, monitoring natural or accidental disturbances, and mathematical modelling. Ecology is somewhat different from Environmental Science . Ecology is quite strongly oriented towards Biology, whereas Environmental Science involves studies that investigate the relationships of humans to their environment.