Synecology: what is it and what are its functions?

This field of applied science investigates Biological and inert elements.

Have you ever heard of synecology? It is a science related to different ecosystems and their species, but what exactly does it study? How is it defined? What subtypes of synecology can we find?

In this article we will answer these and other questions and, in addition, we will describe two of the possible applications of synecology.

Preliminary concepts: the ecosystem

Before delving into the meaning of synecology, we believe it is necessary to recall the meaning of some relevant previous concepts.

One of them is the concept of ecosystem; an ecosystem is a biological system formed by two elements: a group of living beings (community) and the natural environment in which they live.

In other words, it is made up of two types of factors: biotic factors, which include living beings (animals and plants) and abiotic factors, which include non-living components, such as temperature, water, salinity or light, among others.which include non-living components, such as temperature, water, salinity and light, among others.

We have introduced this previous concept because synecology deals, fundamentally, with the study of the relationships between ecosystems and biological communities. Let us now get to know this concept in depth.

Synecology: what is this research discipline?

The term synecology has also been translated as "community ecology" or even "biocenotics". Specifically, it is a sub-discipline (or branch) of ecology.. Ecology is that part of biology responsible for studying the relationships of living beings with each other, as well as with the environment in which they live.

Synecology is the science of studying the relationships between biological communities (different species of a community, or biocenosis) and the Earth's ecosystems. When we speak of biological communities, we refer to those environmental media where different species live.

Thus, synecology is concerned with the study of these environments, as well as the type of relationships that appear between them. the type of relationships that appear between the species in each of these natural systems and the relationships of these species with their environment..

What does it study?

Thus, by way of synthesis, we can say that sinecology deals with the study of biological communities, and more specifically: their composition, structure, the changes that occur in them over time, etc.etc.

It also studies the relationships of species with their community, and the relationships produced within each species (and between different types of species).

Study perspectives (and types of synecology).

The different studies of synecology can adopt two different perspectives (or two points of view), which are as follows:

1. Static perspective.

The first perspective that we will describe, and that sinecology can adopt, is the static perspective, which alludes to a descriptive type of sinecology. Its objective is to describe the different types and groups of living beings existing in a given environment or ecosystem..

Through this type of descriptions, the professional will be able to obtain the pertinent knowledge in relation to the composition of these groups (or species), their spatial distribution, abundance, constancy, etc.

2. Dynamic perspective

In the second perspective of synecology we can use the term functional synecology.

In this case, we speak of a dynamic perspective, where its two key objectives are, on the one hand, to describe the evolution of groups of living beings (or species), and to examine the influences or circumstances that cause these groups to appear in one place or another in the ecosystem, on the other.

Another of the aspects or elements that sinecology studies from a dynamic point of view, is how the matter and energy of an ecosystem is mobilized and transported from one zone of the ecosystem to another, through the different constituents of the ecosystem.through the different constituents of the system itself.

In addition, functional synecology also analyzes other elements such as: biomass, food chains, the productivity of a system, its performance, etc. However, all the above mentioned would correspond to a subtype of functional synecology itself, called quantitative synecology.

Applications

And in the more practical field? What are the applications of synecology? Here we will mention two of them:

1. Ecological succession

One of the applications of synecology is the so-called "ecological succession", which in turn constitutes the basis for restoring is the basis for restoring ecosystems once they are altered or disturbed (for different reasons)..

But what exactly does ecological succession consist of? It is the evolution that occurs naturally in an environment, causing the living beings of an ecosystem to be progressively replaced by others. In short, it is the substitution, in the long term, of some species by others (both plant and animal).

In other words, it encompasses that sequence of changes in plant (or animal) communities that occur over time..

In the case of plant communities, this sequence has two levels: primary succession (when certain organisms colonize an area that initially has no vegetation), and secondary succession (when the ecosystem is disturbed or altered, either by a natural event or by human action, and subsequently the system begins to recover [once the disturbance is over]).

The action of man

Thus, succession can also be caused by human action (although in this case, it would not be ecological). In these cases, what can be done when a system is altered by human action? One possible ecological solution is to restore the system, that is, to reestablish its initial conditions, which is called ecological restoration.

But how is this achieved? In the case of plant communities, it is sometimes necessary to apply reforestation methods that mimic the ecological succession itself (especially in complex ecosystems, such as a tropical rainforest). However, when reforesting a system, the synecology of the ecosystem must always be taken into account in order to be able to carry out this action successfully.

Thus, we see how professionals in these fields (biology, ecology...) must analyze, in an exhaustive manner, the ecological succession of the different communities and ecosystems, in order to be able to to design an adequate restoration plan and therefore, one that will work..

2. Epidemiology

Epidemiology is another possible application of synecology, and we will now see why.

Epidemiology is the branch of medicine that studies the development of pandemics and the incidence of certain infectious diseases in the population.

But, in order to apply it to synecology, let's look at an example: we know that in order to know the dynamics established between a parasite and its host, the studies of synecology are necessary. These studies or knowledge would form the basis of epidemiology when analyzing how an infectious disease develops in time and space.

That is why epidemiology constitutes another application of synecology, because in the example mentioned above, it is necessary to know the interaction established between the parasite (e.g. a virus) and its host (e.g. a human being). (e.g. a human being). This leads us to think of a current issue, which would be a good example: the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19).

Bibliographical references:

• Buiza, C. et al. (1985). Carmen Estudio de ecosistemas: una experiencia de campo y laboratorio. Madrid: Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia, Breviarios de Educación, 10.
• Hagen, J.B. (1992). An Entangled Bank: The Origins of Ecosystem Ecology. Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.
• Patten, B.C. & Jorgensen, S.E. (1995). Complex Ecology: The Part-Whole Relationship in Ecosystems. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, USA.
• Pozo, W.E. & Youlatos, D. (2005). Synecological study of nine primate species from Yasuní National Park, Ecuador. Revista Politécnica, 26(1): 83-107.