Final answer:
In ecology, when an organism actively changes or moves into a different environment, it is engaging in environmental disturbance, which leads to changes in habitat and potentially increases competition for resources.
Step-by-step explanation:
When an organism actively changes its surroundings or moves into a different environment, it engages in behavior that ecologists might describe as environmental disturbance or habitat alteration. This concept is closely tied to the study of ecology, the branch of biology that involves understanding the interactions of living organisms with their environment, including how they affect and are affected by changes in their surroundings.
Environmental disturbances can be caused by natural events such as disasters or through human activities, which include various forms of development and environmental modification. Competition for resources, a fundamental interaction in ecology, often intensifies as a consequence of environmental disturbances. Understanding these interactions is essential for grasping how growth and dynamic homeostasis of biological systems are influenced by such environmental changes.