Ecology as a scientific discipline has its roots in humanity’s early attempts to understand the natural world and the relationships among living organisms and their surroundings. Ancient civilizations, including those of India, China, Greece, and Mesopotamia, developed observations about plants, animals, climate, and seasons that guided agriculture, medicine, and resource use. Thinkers such as Hippocrates emphasized the influence of air, water, and place on living beings, while Aristotle and Theophrastus systematically studied animals and plants, laying early foundations for ecological thinking through their descriptions of habitats, behavior, and adaptations. During the Middle Ages, ecological ideas were largely embedded within natural history and theology, with limited experimental inquiry. However, practical knowledge of ecosystems continued