Coined 1866 by Haeckel from Greek 'oikos' (house) + 'logos' (study) — treating the natural world as a vast household.
The branch of biology that studies the relationships between organisms and their environments; the set of relationships between organisms in a particular environment.
Coined in German as 'Oecologie' by the biologist Ernst Haeckel in 1866, from Greek 'oikos' (house, dwelling, habitat) + 'logos' (study, discourse). Haeckel defined it as the study of the relationships between organisms and their environment — literally 'the study of the household,' treating nature as a vast household of interrelated inhabitants. Greek 'oikos' also gives us 'economy' (household management) and 'ecumenical' (pertaining
Ecology and economy are siblings — both descend from Greek 'oikos' (house). Economy is 'oikos' + 'nomos' (law, management): the management of the household. Ecology is 'oikos' + 'logos' (study): the study of the household. The environmental movement has sometimes framed ecology and economy as opponents, but etymologically they are two perspectives on the same thing — how we manage our shared