No, microbiology and microbial ecology are not the same, though they are related.
Microbiology is a broad discipline that encompasses the study of microorganisms, including bacteria, archaea, fungi, protists, and viruses. It focuses on their structure, function, genetics, biochemistry, and interactions with each other and their hosts.
Microbial ecology, on the other hand, is a subdiscipline of microbiology that specifically focuses on the interactions of microorganisms with their environment and with each other in their natural habitats. This includes studying the roles of microbes in nutrient cycling, biogeochemical processes, and the effects of environmental factors on microbial communities. It aims to understand how microbes shape and are shaped by their environments. As the provided reference states, microbial ecology focuses on "how microbes interact with their environment."
In short:
- Microbiology: The study of microorganisms.
- Microbial Ecology: The study of the interactions of microorganisms with their environment.
One could say that microbial ecology applies the principles of microbiology to understand microbial life in context of environmental conditions. Microbial ecology often uses techniques from microbiology, but it also incorporates methods from ecology, environmental science, and geochemistry.
