ecológica

Ecológica is the feminine singular form of the Spanish adjective ecológico, used to describe anything related to ecology, the science of the relationships between organisms and their environment, or to environmentally friendly practices. The related noun is ecología, and the adverb form is ecológicamente. The term ecología was coined in the 19th century by the German biologist Ernst Haeckel, drawn from the Greek oikos (house, habitat) and logos (study).

In everyday Spanish, ecológica appears in a variety of contexts and compounds. Examples include conciencia ecológica (ecological awareness), turismo ecológico (eco-tourism), huella ecológica (ecological footprint), crisis ecológica (ecological crisis), and economía ecológica (ecological economy), which seeks to integrate environmental limits with economic analysis. Products marketed as environmentally friendly may be described as productos ecológicos, though organic foods are more commonly labeled orgánicos in many regions. The feminine form also agrees with feminine nouns, as in ciudad ecológica or gestión ecológica.

Usage notes and context: ecología is a scholarly field taught in universities and referenced in environmental policy, conservation, and sustainability discussions. The term is closely related to, but distinct from, ambiental (environmental) and sostenible (sustainable), with ecología emphasizing the study of interactions and processes, while eco-friendly or sustainable practices may be described with asociados terms in everyday language.