A matter of terminology — the ecological approach in geography: a re-examination of basic concepts

Ecology is receiving increased attention as a research focus for geography and other academic disciplines. A consideration of basic concepts and the relationship of such ideas to the organizing frameworks of individual disciplines is needed to define the position of ecology as a substantive field or methodological approach. Geographers are concerned with the identification and explanation of the spatial patterning of earth phenomena. The ecosystem concept, with an emphasis on structure, networks of interaction, and function, is quite useful for conducting such geographical investigations. It acquires enhanced value within the subfields of geography by refining the approach through topical foci. Cultural ecology is one example; in this case a system is studied in terms of how its various cultural and biophysical components relate to a cultural characteristic (s) selected as the focus of investigation. Ecology is thus viewed as a methodological approach with significant applications for geographic research.