[aw-tuh-kol-uh-je] 
| a branch of ecology dealing with the individual organism or species in relation to its environment. |
[awt-ek-uh-loj-ik, -ee-kuh-] , aut⋅ec⋅o⋅log⋅i⋅cal, adjective | au·te·col·o·gy (ô'tĭ-kŏl'ə-jē) n. The branch of ecology that deals with the biological relationship between an individual organism or an individual species and its environment. au'te·co·log'i·cal (-kə-lŏj'ĭ-kəl) adj. |
| autecology (ô'tĭ-kŏl'ə-jē) Pronunciation Key
The branch of ecology that deals with the biological relationship between an individual organism or an individual species and its environment. Compare synecology. |
autecology
the study of the interactions of an individual organism or a single species with the living and nonliving factors of its environment. Autecology is primarily experimental and deals with easily measured variables such as light, humidity, and available nutrients in an effort to understand the needs, life history, and behaviour of the organism or species. Compare synecology.
Learn more about autecology with a free trial on Britannica.com.
təˈkɒl