Last edited 31 Oct 2022

Ecology and the built environment

BRE Breeam ecology.jpg

Contents

[edit] Introduction

Ecology is the study of the relationship between organisms and their physical environment. It provides information about the benefits of ecosystems and how humans can utilise the earth’s resources in a sustainable way.

Ecology is a multidisciplinary science and can be divided into the four main areas:

[edit] History

The term ‘ecology’ was first used by the German zoologist Ernst Haeckel and comes from the Greek word oikos which means “household”, “home”, or “ place to live”. It evolved from the natural history of the ancient Greeks.

[edit] Studies

Ecologists study the relationships between organisms and their habitats, in a wide range of environments. The fundamental reasons for studying ecology are:

The subject of ecology is not limited to just the terrestrial environment, it is also concerned with marine environments, lakes and streams,

[edit] Planning applications

Planning authorities have a duty to consider biodiversity when assessing planning applications. When a planning proposal is reasonably likely to affect species or habitats, an ecological assessment will be required. The ecological assessment will consider the development site with an appropriate buffer zone and should identify features including:

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings

[edit] External references

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