Final answer:
Ecologists view both individuals and ecosystems as ecological systems because they are interconnected; individual organisms interact with their environment and affect collective ecological levels like populations and communities, which in turn influence individual organisms. This two-way interaction shows the significance of both individuals and ecosystems in the study of ecology.
Step-by-step explanation:
Ecologists consider both individuals and ecosystems to be ecological systems because they are interconnected and influence each other. At the most specific level, ecologists study individual organisms and their interactions with their environments. This includes the study of how single organisms live and interact with the abiotic and biotic factors in their habitats.
As we expand our focus, we see that these individual organisms are part of various collective levels like populations, communities, ecosystems, biomes, and the biosphere. A single organism can have a significant impact on its immediate environment, and likewise, the larger environment can influence the life and behavior of an individual organism. This is why both individual entities and the broader ecosystem are important units of analysis in ecology.
The health of ecosystems can also be applied to individuals. A holistic approach to studying ecosystems, which includes individual, population, and community levels, provides a more comprehensive understanding of the intricate dynamics within these systems. Ecologists suggest using experimental data from individual and population studies in conjunction with whole ecosystem studies to get a complete picture of ecosystem structure, function, and dynamics.