autecologically
|au-te-co-lo-gi-cal-ly|
🇺🇸
/ˌɔtəˈkɑlədʒɪkəl/
🇬🇧
/ˌɔːtəˈkɒlədʒɪkəl/
(autecological)
ecology of a single species
Etymology
'autecological' originates from Greek elements and scientific New Latin coinage: specifically from the combination of 'auto-' (from Greek 'autos', meaning 'self') and the element behind 'ecology' (from Greek 'oikos', meaning 'house' or 'dwelling', plus '-logy' 'study').
'autecological' developed from the noun 'autecology' (coined in modern scientific usage in the 19th century), formed by adding the adjective-forming suffix '-ical' to describe things 'relating to autecology'; the adverb 'autecologically' was later formed by adding '-ly'.
Initially used around the noun 'autecology' to denote the study of individual species, the term extended to describe things 'relating to' that study; today 'autecological' and 'autecologically' commonly mean 'in relation to single-species ecology.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a reference to 'autecology' — the branch of ecology that studies individual species and their relationships with the environment (this is the noun related to the adjective base form).
Autecologically, the researchers concentrated on the life history traits of a single butterfly species.
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Adjective 1
relating to autecology; describing studies, data, or approaches that focus on a single species' ecological traits or relationships (this entry corresponds to the base form 'autecological').
Autecologically oriented observations can reveal how one species adapts independently of community interactions.
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Adverb 1
in a manner relating to autecology — i.e., with regard to the ecology of a single species (studying or describing single-species ecological relationships).
The population was examined autecologically to understand its species-specific responses to drought.
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Last updated: 2025/11/22 20:31