Ecology

In the last 150 years or so, scientists have become interested in the way animals and plants live together. This interest has created an new branch of science called ecology. Over millions of years, plants and animals have learned to change themselves so they can fit perfectly into their environment. For example, a saltwater fish lives best in the ocean and a mouse is healthiest in a field. Certain organisms may be found in a large area, but they do not live in all of it. They are usually only found in a small part of it. This is the place where it is easiest for them to live. Ecologists call this place their habitat. They study the way organisms survive in their natural habitat.