Dear @Marcel, interesting question. Here is a quote that speaks about interdisciplinary ecology: "Ecology is the study of the interactions between organisms and their environment. Ecologists might investigate the relationship between a population of organisms and some physical characteristic of their environment, such as concentration of a chemical; or they might investigate the interaction between two populations of different organisms through some symbiotic or competitive relationship. For example, an interdisciplinary analysis of an ecological system which is being impacted by one or more stressors might include several related environmental science fields. In an estuarine setting where a proposed industrial development could impact certain species by water and air pollution, biologists would describe the flora and fauna, chemists would analyze the transport of water pollutants to the marsh, physicists would calculate air pollution emissions and geologists would assist in understanding the marsh soils and bay muds." System science is of a great value for ecology!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_science

Dear @ Marcel, if you accept a very broad definition, yes.  Every discipline requires humans (researcher/s, respondents) and environment.  But I need to stick to the traditional specific definition for Ecology, so that it's narrow enough for my students to understand it well enough.  At 18 years, their minds cannot stretch and be so all encompassing like you.

It is  interdisciplinary scientific study of the distribution and profusion of organisms and their interactions with their environment. Studies deal with a wide variety of conservation scenarios; applicable to a broader audience, exacerbated conservation status of a protected area, endemic nature of species and local communities etc.,

It exists in a wider spectrum and viewed microscopically within every discipline of science.

Dear Miranda,

Physicists claim that everything is Physics, Chemists claim that everything is chemistry, so why not claiming that everything is 'Ecology'? 

Dear Krishnan,

Following Miranda, any science discipline depends on organism(human)-environment interactions, and therefore will follow principles studied in Ecology, or not? 

Dear Marcel, maybe it's better not to compartmentalize the branches of science.  Interdisciplinary approach is healthy, leading to transfer of knowledge!  It also promotes lifelong education.

http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/De/PD/instr/strats/interdis/index.html

To rectify this disconnect, practitioners in various disciplines need to seek innovative collaborations based on areas of similar research interest.The world’s problems are too complex, and the threats are too immanent to work alone. Only by joining together will we be able to truly understand the interactions between people, culture, and nature. By integrating conservation knowledge with results from Scientific studies of the knowledge preserved by local or indigenous communities, we can develop more rigorous tools for ecological tasks.

Marketing strategies in education?

Dear @Marcel, interesting question. Here is a quote that speaks about interdisciplinary ecology: "Ecology is the study of the interactions between organisms and their environment. Ecologists might investigate the relationship between a population of organisms and some physical characteristic of their environment, such as concentration of a chemical; or they might investigate the interaction between two populations of different organisms through some symbiotic or competitive relationship. For example, an interdisciplinary analysis of an ecological system which is being impacted by one or more stressors might include several related environmental science fields. In an estuarine setting where a proposed industrial development could impact certain species by water and air pollution, biologists would describe the flora and fauna, chemists would analyze the transport of water pollutants to the marsh, physicists would calculate air pollution emissions and geologists would assist in understanding the marsh soils and bay muds." System science is of a great value for ecology!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_science

There is the 'ecology of chemistry/physics' and the 'chemistry/physics of ecology', or not? Where lies the difference? 

Just entered this question. My clear statement, like other friends already gave hints.

No, not all sciences can be defined as ecology. But in application of our scientific results we should have a look into nature and try to have respect to ecological purposes.

OK. Can every discipline in science be defined as 'Physics'?

Dear Marcel,

of course no to your question. Just remember your own researches to birds nests. It´s psychology, biology, behaviour etc, you know this better than I do. But you never should forget, that physical laws are dominating in nature. They are the base for chemistry and other natural sciences like geology etc.

Is a single science discipline simply defined by what a single person can study from a practical point of view? For instance, attractive forces in social relationships could potentially be defined as 'Physics', but it will perhaps never be studied by Physicists only focusing on forces of non-living objects (planets, stats, particles...)?

Dear Marcel and Other Friends,

Any definition must, I think, consider the fact(s) that ecology involves life interactions and adaptations, movement of materials and energy and distribution of organisms and biodiversity within the environment.

Dear Marwan,

Do you know a science discipline that does not take the environment into account, whatever its definition, e.g. in cause-consequence relationships or interactions of any expression?

Not really, dear Marcel! Is not any science, after all, a restructuring of the environment?

Dear Francesca,

your question is the usual abuse of a phrase. I totally agree with you: Methan is alive, O2 is alive, my irritation is alive. No, thats no way for a serious scientific discussion!

Com back please!

In other words, living is more than movement/mobility.... 

Dear Francesca,

nice to provoke reactions.

If you give an answer to person A you must be aware that person B reads your answer and starts to think and comment. That was my case. To my critics, particle are not life even not after all. Particles are particles, that means just matter from nucleons and electrons. Life? Life is much more and mankind is thinking about since eternity.

BTW: Hanno is the name of the famous sailor round africa from Karthago, so I happen to be male and no Lady.

Dear Francesca/All,

I asked the opinion from other people which is unrelated to personal feelings. It is nice that people are willing to invest time to interact and I learn.

Who has invented the word 'Ecology' is irrelevant to its importance as a discipline in science during the last century. The goal is to understand a bit better the functioning of the world

My personal interpretations based on former information summarized are:

1) All principles that are studied in the field of Ecology are reflected in how science is practically conducted, that is based on the underlying mechanisms of 'organism-environment' interactions.

2) Ecology studies interactions between living beings and their abiotic/ biotic environment, which implies that the theoretical borders of 'Ecology' will depend on the definition of what life is on how the environment is defined. Relevant environmental components might be visible or invisible to the human eye.

Dear Marcel, Francesca and friends, I need to clarify something before what I say is misunderstood.  Ecology is an interdisciplinary field that includes biology and Earth science. The word "ecology" ("Ökologie") was coined in 1866 by the German scientist Ernst Haeckel (1834–1919) [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecology].  That's all I can claim, I really cannot claim that all sciences are ecology.

Dear Francesca, you said: 'Miranda Yeoh has said a Couple of important Things, has hightlighted few Important Concepts about the Theme: I just disagree with her about Teenagers or so. People, and even Children [!] are much more clever and are much more able to understand Truthfulnesss, than many of the Adults who has, by the Time, been indoctrined...'

It happens that my students are from schools where they usually learn by memorizing and it's so hard to change them to be self directed autonomous learners.  All my energy and my research goes into that.  We are a developing country, not like France or Germany.  Just read what Prof Mahfuz has expressed about Indian students who learn by memorizing, the 6th post.  Thanks to all of you.

https://www.researchgate.net/post/Education_What_would_it_take_to_revolutionize_the_Indian_education_system

Dear Miranda,

My interpretation is that time and logistic constraints will impose how education will be conducted, e.g. for the population versus the individual. 

Would "environmental science" be a more appropriate field related to almost all other  science disciplines?

Dear Mohammed,

Excellent remark. What is the difference between Environmental science and Ecology as a science discipline?

Dear Mohammed,

It´s a very clear distinction, ecology as teaching of the correct daily behaviour and environmental science as accompanaying scientific field.

Dear Marcel, Mohammed, and friends, I need some time to think out some things.  For now:

'Modern ecology transformed into a more rigorous science in the late 19th century. Evolutionary concepts on adaptation and natural selection became cornerstones of modern ecological theory. Ecology is not synonymous with environment, environmentalism, natural history, or environmental science. It is closely related to evolutionary biology, genetics, and ethology. An understanding of how biodiversity affects ecological function is an important focus area in ecological studies.'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecology

Interesting remark Hanno. You imply that 'Ecology' is a political inspired instrument aimed to change human behavior towards nature, not a science discipline? But how than do you explain the existence of more than 136 scientific journals classified under the heading Ecology in Web of Knowledge?

Dear Marcel,

I just accepted @Mohammed´s matching comment. Indeed in the daily practice we use the term "ecological behaviour". But it´s rules are elaborated by scientific efforts.

All these journals named "ecology..." are no publications of a single science, they use the results from different disciplines. And off course, I don´t try or want to change the names of these famous journals.

Dear Hanno,

All these journals named 'Behaviour', 'Biology', 'Zoology', Medicine' etc..... are no publications of a single science....

Dear Miranda,

Environmental sciences can be studied in an ultimate (some call it evolutionary) and proximate (some call it ecological) framework

Dear Marcel,

you are completely right. I´m astonished, that I should have overlooked or violated this usus. I just want to point out, the different fields must work together.

Dear Marcel,

I have an idea. Couldn´t you change your primary question to "Can_every_discipline_in_science_be_serving to_Ecology?"

That´s my understanding.

Dear Hanno,

good point! Of course, because of historical reasons, I cannot change the primary question.

Cheers

Dear Marcel,

a very weak reaction" ;-))

Try it with a new question like "Which scientific fields contribute most  to...."

Dear Marcel,

The following notes, would, I believe, explain the difference between ecology and environmental science.

"Environmental science" refers to all the sciences that help to explore environmental relationships; besides ecology, which provides the conceptual framework, are included parts of geology, climatology, anthropology, chemistry, and physics.

"Ecology", on the other hand, refers to the study of the relationships of organisms to their environment and to one another. However, the application of ecological thought to societal problems is one important direction in ecology (ecological aspects of global change, the ecology and conservation of biological diversity, and strategies for sustainable ecological systems). Other important directions in ecology as a whole are: interpreting ecological phenomena in terms of evolution, and attention to scientific rigor.  One other trends in ecology is the increased use of molecular techniques to study ecological and evolutionary problems.

Best regards

Dear friends @Mohammed, Hanno, Francesca, Marcel and all, thanks for this question.  Mohammed, thanks for clear descriptions of ecology and environmental science.

Dear Hanno and Francesca, congrats for OPEN discussions!!  If only disagreements on all threads could be resolved in this friendly manner!  I am proud of all my friends here who are great scientists, talking and discussing, and not downvoting!  Wonderful.

I must admit that at first, I thought Hanno was a lady.  First, dear Hanno, your posts are usually gentle; and also because the Fennec is such a gentle useful creature.  But on 1 thread, Hanno mentioned a wife!  This prevented my error!  And I concluded Hanno is a gentle gentleman.  Dear all,  SOLIDARITY and all goodwill to you all :)

[Dear MARCEL, I went to your page to endorse you.  There were 5 pics, and a question asked.  Is this Marcel M. Lambrechts?  I think RG wants you to put your own photo.]

Dear Miranda,

it´s really astonishing, that males are normally not gentle, at least in some friend´s opinion. So I will try to get an angry unpolite and embittered old man and discussion partner to avoid misunderstandings. ;-)

Dear Kamal,

I think the discussion may continue with a bit of inspiration, or not?

Example

A key concept in Ecology is 'interaction'. I think different research fields use the terminology 'interaction', but perhaps having different meanings in different research fields?