ecophysiological

Ecophysiology is the study of how physiological processes of organisms operate within ecological contexts, and how these processes in turn shape interactions with the environment. The term ecophysiological, used as an adjective, describes traits, responses, or processes that arise from the interplay between an organism’s physiology and its habitat.

The field covers plants and animals across multiple scales, from cellular and molecular mechanisms to whole-organism performance and up to population and ecosystem consequences. Common topics include how photosynthesis, respiration, water transport, and nutrient use are influenced by light, temperature, water availability, salinity, and nutrient status; how organisms acclimate or adapt to changing conditions; and how energy budgets, stress physiology, and phenotypic plasticity affect fitness and distribution.

Methods combine laboratory, field, and modeling approaches. In plants, gas exchange measurements, chlorophyll fluorescence, and isotopic analyses are used to quantify photosynthetic capacity and water-use efficiency. In animals, respirometry, metabolic rate studies, thermography, and hormonal or enzymatic assays help assess stress and energy balance. Field studies often employ climate manipulations, reciprocal transplants, or long-term monitoring, while models integrate physiological data to predict performance under environmental change.

Applications include improving crop resilience and water-use efficiency, informing conservation physiology and wildlife management, understanding invasive species dynamics, and predicting ecosystem responses to climate change. Ecophysiology thus bridges physiology and ecology, providing mechanistic insight into how organisms function in, and respond to, their environments.