Ecophysiology

Ecophysiology is a biological discipline that studies the adaptation of an organism's physiology to environmental conditions. It is closely related to ethology, ecology, evolution, and biochemistry.

Overview

Ecophysiology combines the study of physiology and ecology. It seeks to understand how the physiological characteristics of organisms (such as metabolism, nutrition, respiration, and reproduction) are influenced by and in turn influence the distribution and abundance of organisms in their environment.

Key Concepts

Adaptation

Adaptation is a key concept in ecophysiology. Organisms adapt their physiological processes to survive in different environments. These adaptations can be structural, physiological, or behavioral.

Homeostasis

Homeostasis is another important concept in ecophysiology. It refers to the ability of an organism to maintain a stable internal environment despite changes in external conditions.

Stress and Disturbance

Ecophysiology also studies how organisms respond to stress and disturbance. This includes both abiotic stress (such as temperature, light, and water availability) and biotic stress (such as competition, predation, and disease).

Applications

Ecophysiology has applications in many areas, including conservation biology, agriculture, and medicine. For example, understanding the physiological adaptations of plants can help in the development of crops that are more resistant to drought or pests. Similarly, understanding the physiological responses of animals to stress can help in the conservation of endangered species.

See Also

• Physiological ecology
• Behavioral ecology
• Evolutionary physiology
• Comparative physiology

References

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Ecophysiology

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  Infrared image of tomato leaves showing leaf temperature

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  Plant productivity in a warming world