As a field ecologist, I perhaps oversimplify. Anyway, here's my simple-minded answer: Natural History is basically describing nature through observation. Ecology is the scientific study of the relationships of organisms to each other and their environments.
Warren W. Aney Senior Wildlife Ecologist 9403 SW 74th Ave Tigard, OR 97223 (503) 539-1009 (503) 246-2605 fax -----Original Message----- From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Jaime Garizabal Sent: Friday, 08 April, 2011 10:07 To: [email protected] Subject: [ECOLOG-L] What´s the difference between Ecology and Natural H istory? Hi! By these days I´ve thinking about the differences between Ecology and Natural History, and maybe I´m just not so good differenciating this terms or I just need to read more about it, but sometimes it seems like the limits between them aren´t always clear. For example, if you´re studying some bird and you are taking into account things like clutch size, clutch mass, incubation rhythm, social structure (in case for example, the bird is a cooperative breeder), diet, feeding strategy, habitat description and so on... How do I know, according to the definitions and the conceptual commitment, wich part is mostly ecology and wich one natural history? how can I draw the limits? Of course, it´s always depend on the research question and the context and limits I´m using to think about it, but, even so, sometimes it´s not clear for me differenciate conceptually and in the practice when I´m studying the Ecology and when the Natural History of some living thing.. Could you help me a little bit with this? Pd. Sorry about my english and thanks a lot for your time and pacience! -------------------------------------------------------------------- Jaime. A Garizábal C. Instituto de Biología - Universidad de Antioquia Sociedad Antioqueña de Ornitología. Medellín - Colombia.
