Autecologies

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The branch of ecology concerned with the individual organism's interactions with its environment and adaptations to it
2. A study focused on how a specific species interacts with its surroundings, including its relationships and adaptations
3. The examination of an organism's behavior, physiology, and morphology in relation to its ecological context and environment

Etymology: "Autecologies" is the plural of "autecology," a noun for the study of a single species or organism in relation to its environment, as opposed to the study of whole communities. The plural form simply counts multiple such studies or fields of study. The word is built from the Greek prefix "auto-," meaning "self" or "on its own," joined to "ecology," the study of organisms and their surroundings. The "eco-" element traces back to the Greek "oikos," meaning "house" or "household," which is why ecology is literally the study of the home environment of living things. The "auto-" element, with its sense of "self" or "individual," narrows the focus to one organism rather than a whole community or population. Together the parts describe a discipline that examines a single species on its own terms.