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Ecology is the study of the relationship between living organisms (biotic factors) and the physical environment (abiotic factors). The formal study of ecology did not become prominent until the second half of the 20th century, but humans have been constructing a knowledge base for thousands of years. Current understanding of ecology has resulted from observations made by scientists and non-scientists, laboratory experiments, and reflection on ecological events.
Our understanding of the world is largely due to observation. Explorers and naturalists such as Carl Linnaeus, Alexander von Humboldt, and William Hornaday are often considered some of the founders of ecology, but others, such as Benjamin Franklin and Nantucket whale-men, observed and explained interactions between biotic and abiotic factors as well. Fishery owners, farmers, and others who interact directly with the environment have shaped understandings of predator-prey relationships and soil ecology. Changes that occur in the environment, such as in the old growth forests of Appalachia and Rhode Island, have largely been observed by long-time residents who pass their knowledge down over generations. Technology, such as radar, has also helped to further our capabilities of observation and gain a deeper understanding of topography.
Observations made in the field have led to laboratory experimentation to further identify relationships between biotic and abiotic factors. University faculty and students have worked together to explain a great deal of ecological knowledge, including the role that bacteria play in the absorption of organic nitrogen into plants and practical methods for sampling and chemically analyzing soil. Governmental agencies, such as the Bureau of Fisheries, Bureau of Animal Industry, and Department of Agriculture, have organized experiments at outposts throughout the country and globally. Members of universities and governmental agencies have collaborated to analyze experimental results and build an understanding of topics such as pesticide use and weather effects on forest growth. The findings of these collaborations have been used to guide state and national legislation.
The biotic and abiotic systems on Earth continuously change, and sometimes these changes dramatically affect the human population. These changes often produce both destruction and knowledge. For example, the Dust Bowl of the 1930s resulted from a combination of drought and topsoil destruction in the Great Plains. The dust storms led to the scientific investigation of dry farming techniques to prevent similar levels of destruction in the future. Similarly, the drainage of the Florida Everglades that started in the early 1900s helped people understand the role wetlands play in the maintenance of the adjacent ecosystems.