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Ecology is the branch of science that studies the habitat and the interactions between living things and the environment.

The term was coined in 1866 by the darwinist German biologist Ernst Haeckel from the Greek oikos meaning "house" and logos meaning "science"). The environment includes both the abiotic environment -- non-living things like climate and geology -- and the biotic environment -- living things like plants and animals. Much of ecological research is concerned with the distribution and abundance of organisms and how these are influenced by characteristics and properties of the environment: organisms influence their environment and the environment influences organisms.

A quite frequent definition, particularly used in human ecology defines ecology as the study of the following triangular relationship:

• the relationship between individuals of a species -- for example, the study of a single rabbit, and how it relates to other rabbits, such as a high reproductive rate resulting in an increasing number of rabbits;
• the organized activity of a species -- for example, the effect that increased food consumption by rabbits has on their environment, so that rabbits consume so much of the food supply that there is not enough food to sustain the population;
• and the environment of this activity -- for example, the consequences of the environmental change on the rabbit, so that rabbits die out due to the above conditions -- thus the environment is at the same time the product and the condition of this activity and thus of the survival of the species.

The term ecology may have different meanings depending on who is using it. For many scientists, ecology belongs to the basic biological sciences. However, most ecologists would argue that ecology is a scientific field of its own. For many, ecology is first and foremost the protection of nature and the environment from humans and our activities, with the sense that on one side are humans and on the other a virgin "Nature" to protect.

Other people view ecology as more than biology as studied by science, but rather a certain vision of the world, which would consist in living in harmony with the other living beings, in not seing the other organisms which surrounds us as mere objects to be used, but rather as organisations, entities belonging to a larger coherent system. According to Serge Moscovisci for example, there are three approaches to define ecology:

• an emotional organic orientation : this refers to what a human being feels, a feeling of love toward Earth, a desire of living a quiet and simple life, to breath pure air, to drink clean water, to preserve an certain environment
• a technical orientation : seeking to understand the way ecosystems are working, relations of cooperation/competition between organisms...and to find ways to solve the problems arising (pollution , extinction, accumulation of waste)
• a political orientation : these relate to society choices, such as choice of research directions, decision over use of certain technologies, or use of natural resources, waste management.

Let's see how to insert an image in an article. First of all, it must be uploaded on Ekopedia's Base. Then, you use the Ekopedia syntax to reveal it.

A few examples:

· [[Image:Keyboard.jpg]] will post the original size.

· [[Image:Keyboard.jpg|200px]] imposes a size.

· [[Image:Keyboard.jpg|200px|right]] forces aligning right.

· [[Image:Keyboard.jpg|200px|right|A keyboard]] adds a legend.

· [[Image:Keyboard.jpg|200px|thumb|A keyboard]] creates a frame on the right.

Privilege images free of rights, and good quality.
Do not forget to make a description of the image.

Hybrid vehicles are an intermediary solution between conventionnal vehicles and electric vehicles. The idea is making the thermic motor run with a slightly harder charge than necessary, and use this extra energy to charge batteries.