Plant ecology as a scientific field of study has been receiving a lot of attention, and there are many people who can be thanked for their contributions. But how did it all get started? Better yet, how did the field of ecology as a whole come into the picture? The first person to use the term “ecology” was Henry Thoreau in 1858, but he never defined the word and used it ambiguously. Ernst Haeckel on the other hand was the first person to define the term and did so 8 years later in 1866. He said that ecology was a “comprehensive science of the relationship of the organism to its environment”. Over the years, this term has been questioned and modified by others, but Haeckel put a lot of this into motion.
Haeckel was born in the Kingdom of Prussia in 1834. He studied medicine and attained his doctorate in 1857. From here, he began practicing medicine but soon realized that the field was not for him. He changed paths, went back to school, and 3 years later became a zoologist and taught as a university professor. Throughout his life, he met many scientists, most notably, Charles Darwin. This was great for Haeckel as his interests were in evolution and Darwin is the father of evolution. Shockingly, Haeckel did not support Darwin’s theory of natural selection but instead opted for believing in Lamarckism.
Haeckel married twice, outliving both his wives, and had 3 children. Haeckel retired from teaching and research in 1909, and shortly after this his second wife sadly passed. Following her passing, Haeckel grew weaker but lived for a few more years until he ultimately passed in 1919.
Sources:
Di Gregorio, Mario A. (2005). “1: Young Haeckel”. From Here to Eternity: Ernst Haeckel and Scientific Faith. Religion, Theologie Und Naturwissenschaft/Religion, Theology, And Natural Science. Vol 3: 26.
Kutschera, U., Levit, S., Hossfeld, U. (2019). “Ernst Haeckel (1834–1919): The German Darwin and his impact on modern biology”. Theory in Biosciences. 138 (1): 1–7
Applied Plant Ecology Winter 2020 