From Seed to Seed:
Plant Science for K-8 Educators

Ecology in the garden

We hope that all of this discussion about the different relationships among plants and other organisms has given you-and your students-a peek into the "secret" life of your garden. Even the most serene garden setting is teeming with numerous life forms, interacting and competing for resources. Now that we've surveyed individual relationships, let's put it all together and look at the big picture.

Ecology (Gr. oikos = house) is the study of the interactions of organisms with each other and with their physical environment. An ecosystem includes all living organisms, in each of their various relationships, as they exist in a particular area. And most ecosystems include at least some plants.