Ecology

What is Ecology?

Ecology is the science which studies how living beings interact with one another and with all aspects of their surroundings. It is the study of our living environment. Plants, animals, fungi and other organisms exist in every lake, meadow and forest, and these are the living and biotic components of that environment. Water, air, rocks and nutrients are also present, and these are the non-living or abiotic components. The living and non-living components interact with one another creating ecosystems, sharing energy and materials.

At the IEB we take a variety of approaches to the study of ecology. Our aim is to understand the processes, relationships and changes experienced by ecological systems over time, and to share this knowledge in order to promote science-based decision making, conservation of our ecosystems, and sustainable development of the productive activities in our country.