What is the practical purpose of conducting ecological research?

I know scientific research is done for the sake of "obtaining knowledge about the natural world," but I simply cannot think of any obvious, pragmatic reasons for doing research in the field of ecology. I don't want an answer invoking idealistic notions of the scientific methods; I just want real implications tied to ecology.What is the practical purpose of conducting ecological research?
Are you kidding? Ecology is probably one of most practical parts of biology, outside medical science!



Understanding how ecosystems work is incredibly important, and is likely to become more and more important as we reach the limits of unsustainable resource production. Understanding how fish populations tie into the ecosystem of the oceans is going to be crucially important if we want to manage stocks of fish for generations to come (and there are likely to be dire outcomes if we ignore such research and deplete such stocks).



Understanding how the ecosystem is affected by, for example, different styles of farming or specific agricultural practices is another major issue that ecologists are necessary for. Even if your politics makes you think that biodiversity is of less value than economic growth, there's an increasing concern about monoculturing crops, and the structural stability of our agricultural business.



Basically, if you want to eat over the next generation or so, you better start appreciating your ecologists.

chuys

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