ecological
Concerning living systems
Ecological relates to ecology—the study of how organisms interact with each other and their environment.
An ecological crisis threatens natural systems.
An ecological footprint measures human impact on the planet.
The word often signals environmental concern: ecological sustainability, ecological damage.
Something ecologically sound works in harmony with natural systems rather than against them.
Major ecological community
- food webInterconnected predator-prey relationships
- trophicRelating to feeding
- nicheRecessed wall space
- interdependenceReciprocal reliance between entities
succession · biosphere · energy flow · community · abiotic · biotic · homeostasis · dynamics
Allelic variation within populations
- floraPlants of a region
- faunaAnimal life collectively
- endemicNative to one area
- adaptationFitting to new conditions
evolution · biota · taxonomic · native · endangered · extinct · population · genus
Relating to land
- aquaticWater-inhabiting
- marineRelating to the sea
- freshwaterNon-saline aquatic environment
- riparianRelating to riverbanks
wetland · grassland · forest · desert · tundra · savanna · chaparral · coral reef
Maintaining something's condition
- protected areasZones with legal conservation status
- reforestationReplanting depleted woodlands
- sanctuariesProtected places of refuge
- reservesResources held back
wildlife corridors · stewardship · restoration · conservancy · rewilding · habitat protection · land trust · species recovery
Planetary atmospheric transformation
- pollutionEnvironmental harm from waste
- emissionsSubstances released into air
- global warmingRising planetary temperatures
- ozone depletionProtective atmospheric layer destruction
deforestation · biodegradable · carbon cycle · greenhouse gases · environmental impact · anthropogenic · eutrophication · acid rain
Capable of restoration
- carbon-neutralNet-zero emissions state
- low-impactMinimally stressful on body
- permacultureSustainable ecosystem design method
- agroforestryTrees integrated with farming
zero-waste · life-cycle · cradle-to-cradle · sustainable development · regenerative · resource management · sustainable agriculture · biomimicry
biome
Major ecological community
- food webInterconnected predator-prey relationships
- trophicRelating to feeding
- nicheRecessed wall space
interdependence · succession · biosphere · energy flow · community · abiotic · biotic · homeostasis · dynamics · producers
genetic diversity
Allelic variation within populations
adaptation · evolution · biota · taxonomic · native · endangered · extinct · population · genus · speciation
terrestrial
Relating to land
- aquaticWater-inhabiting
- marineRelating to the sea
- freshwaterNon-saline aquatic environment
riparian · wetland · grassland · forest · desert · tundra · savanna · chaparral · coral reef · mangrove
preservation
Maintaining something's condition
- protected areasZones with legal conservation status
- reforestationReplanting depleted woodlands
- sanctuariesProtected places of refuge
reserves · wildlife corridors · stewardship · restoration · conservancy · rewilding · habitat protection · land trust · species recovery · conservation biology
climate change
Planetary atmospheric transformation
- pollutionEnvironmental harm from waste
- emissionsSubstances released into air
- global warmingRising planetary temperatures
ozone depletion · deforestation · biodegradable · carbon cycle · greenhouse gases · environmental impact · anthropogenic · eutrophication · acid rain · environmental degradation
renewable
Capable of restoration
- carbon-neutralNet-zero emissions state
- low-impactMinimally stressful on body
- permacultureSustainable ecosystem design method
agroforestry · zero-waste · life-cycle · cradle-to-cradle · sustainable development · regenerative · resource management · sustainable agriculture · biomimicry · resilience
- place descriptorsregional, local, remote, national, isolated
- professional fieldsmedical, legal, technical, financial, scientific
- reasoningreasoning, reason, logic, inference, deductive
- research methodsexperiment, hypothesis, deduction, experiments, induction
- philosophical termsSocratic, Kantian, Cartesian, Aristotelian, dialectical
ecologicalunsustainable
Cannot be maintained indefinitely
polluting · unecological · toxic · wasteful · exploitative
ecologicalindustrial
Of factories and production
artificial · synthetic · manufactured · man-made · mechanical
- ecological balanceStable ecosystem state
- ecological footprintMeasure of resource demand
- ecological nicheSpecies' functional environmental position
- ecological harmDamage to natural systems
- ecological damageHarm to natural systems
- ecological impactEffect on ecosystems