Final answer:
Anthropological approaches to ecological studies have greatly changed over the years, moving from cultural ecology to cultural materialism, and now to a holistic, interdisciplinary perspective that addresses global issues and covers a range of human-environment interactions.
Step-by-step explanation:
Over time, anthropological approaches to ecological studies have evolved significantly. In the mid-20th century, cultural ecology, developed by Julian Steward, emphasized the adaptation of humans to their environments, a perspective that was expanded upon by Marvin Harris's cultural materialism, which focused on the impact of technology and economic factors on culture.
Moving into the 21st century, anthropology's approach has become even more dynamic and multifaceted, often interdisciplinary in nature and addressing global issues through a holistic lens that encompasses biology, tradition, and diverse social and physical environments.
Anthropologists seek to understand economic issues through a human-centered lens, studying modes of subsistence like gathering-hunting, pastoralism, plant cultivation, and industrialism, whilst addressing contemporary environmental challenges described under the term Anthropocene. The field acknowledges the interconnectedness of humans and nature, adopting a four-field approach which includes biological anthropology, archaeology, sociocultural anthropology, and linguistic anthropology. Today, there is a focus on 'studying up' and 'studying in' as a means to address issues of power and inequity through anthropological practice and methodology.