ecologist

Noun

ecologist (plural ecologists)

1. A scholar of ecology.
   • Planting trees to combat climate change is a waste of time, according to a study by ecologists who say that most forests do not have any overall effect on global temperature, while those furthest from the equator could actually be making global warming worse.2006 December 15, Alok Jha, “Planting trees to save planet is pointless, say ecologists”, in The Guardian
   • Once ecologists have more thoroughly identified indoor species, they hope to come up with strategies to scientifically manage homes, by eliminating harmful taxa and fostering species beneficial to our health.2013 May 27, Peter Andrey Smith, “Mapping the Great Indoors”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
2. (uncommon) An environmentalist (one who advocates for the protection of the environment).
   • Protest actions of this type served to take debate, and the Basque ecologists, onto the street and to encourage people to carry out principled actions such as the eco-sabotage at Itoiz.2003, Christopher Rootes, Environmental Protest in Western Europe, OUP, →ISBN, page 210
   • Despite the accomplishments and the vision of radical ecologists, however, most of the world's power is presently concentrated in economic systems and political institutions that bring about environmental deterioration.2005, Carolyn Merchant, Radical Ecology: The Search for a Livable World, 2nd edition, Routledge, →ISBN, page 254