ecologicale‧co‧lo‧gi‧cal /ˌiːkəˈlɒdʒɪkəl◂ $ -ˈlɑː-/ ●●○ adjective [only before noun] 
Examples
an ecological disaster2interested in preserving the environment → environment: ecological groups—ecologically /-kli/ adverb: This method of growing crops is effective and ecologically sound (=not likely to harm the environment).
ExamplesEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- The government is to provide incentives for people to protect natural ecological assets such as forests.
- There are warnings that the building of the dam will upset the ecological balance of the river basin.
- As dump opponents had feared, it explicitly sidesteps many of the ecological concerns raised last fall by Park Service scientists.
- But in ecological terms, something catastrophic had occurred.
- Each team works in 3 villages of a chosen ecological and cultural region, with 8 months in each of the villages.
- Ecotopian biotechnology on the contrary would possess an infrastructure based firstly on ecological rationality and secondarily on an economic basis.
- Previous studies have assessed the amenity role of countryside open-spaces using separate ecological, landscape and recreational criteria.
- Rampart Dam, however, was an ecological disaster probably with-out precedent in the world.
- This recognition has had a major impact, not only in the ecological field but also in that of Earth Mysteries.
- We could conceivably escape disaster, but we seem destined, absent real change, for ecological impoverishment.
Longman Language Activatorrelating to the environment► environmental
Collocations · The explosion in the nuclear plant led to one of the most serious environmental catastrophes in history.· We want to stress the environmental benefits of a cheap, efficient public transport system.· environmental pollutionenvironmental group (=a group of people whose aim is to protect the environment) · Environmental groups and residents have united to protest against plans for a new shopping mall.
► green green methods, products, practices etc are intended not to cause damage to the environment. Green political groups are concerned with the protection of the environment: · A government committee is considering a proposal for a green energy policy.· More money needs to be invested in developing greener fuel sources.· a conference attended by representatives of all the Green parties of Europe
► ecological relating to the way plants, animals, people, and the natural creatures of a particular place affect and depend upon each other - used especially by scientists or groups that try to protect the environment: · The government is to provide incentives for people to protect natural ecological assets such as forests.· There are warnings that the building of the dam will upset the ecological balance of the river basin.
WORD SETS► Biologyaerobic, adjectiveafterbirth, nounalgae, nounalimentary canal, nounamber, nounameba, nounamino acid, nounamoeba, nounanaconda, nounanaerobic, adjectiveandrogynous, adjectiveantibody, nounantigen, nounantitoxin, nounappendage, nounarm, nounarmour, nounasexual, adjectiveassimilation, nounatrophy, verbaviary, nounbacteria, nounbacteriology, nounbarnacle, nounbile, nounbinocular vision, nounbio-, prefixbiochemistry, nounbiodegradable, adjectivebiodiversity, nounbiohazard, nounbiological, adjectivebiological clock, nounbiology, nounbiomass, nounbiome, nounbiosphere, nounblind, nounbrain, nounbreathe, verbbreed, verbbreed, nounbreeding, nounbristle, nounbulb, nouncapsule, nouncarbohydrate, nouncarbon dioxide, nouncarnivore, nouncell, nouncellular, adjectivecellulose, nouncentral nervous system, nouncervical, adjectivecholesterol, nounchromosome, nouncirculation, nouncirculatory, adjectiveclass, nounclone, nouncold-blooded, adjectiveconceive, verbconch, nounconnective tissue, nouncopulate, verbcoral reef, nouncornea, nouncoronary, adjectivecorpuscle, nouncortex, nouncortisone, nouncowrie, nouncrab, nouncrawfish, nouncrayfish, nouncreature, nouncross, verbcrossbreed, nounculture, nouncytoplasm, noundecay, verbdecay, noundecompose, verbdefecate, verbdenizen, noundextrose, noundiaphragm, noundigest, verbdigestion, noundigestive, adjectiveDNA, noundorsal, adjectivedry rot, nounduct, noundwarf, noundwarf, adjectiveecological, adjectiveecology, nounecosystem, nounegg, nounejaculate, verbembryo, nounembryonic, adjectiveenzyme, nounepidermis, nounevolution, nounevolutionary, adjectiveexcrement, nounexcrescence, nounexcrete, verbexcretion, nounexhale, verbexoskeleton, nounextinction, nounfaeces, nounfamily, nounfang, nounfat, nounfatty acid, nounfauna, nounfeces, nounfeed, verbfemale, adjectivefemale, nounferment, verbferment, nounfertile, adjectivefertility, nounfertilize, verbfission, nounflank, nounflatulence, nounflesh, nounfleshy, adjectiveflightless, adjectiveflora, nounfoetal, adjectivefoetus, nounfoliage, nounfossil, nounfreak, nounfreshwater, adjectivefructose, noungamete, nounganglion, noungene, noungene pool, noungenera, genetic, adjectivegenetic code, noungenetic engineering, noungenetic fingerprinting, noungenetics, noungenome, noungenus, noungestation, noungland, nounglandular, adjectiveglucose, noungluten, noungonad, noungrass snake, noungrow, verbgrowth, nounhabitat, nounhaemoglobin, nounhearing, nounheart, nounhemisphere, nounherbivore, nounhereditary, adjectiveheredity, nounhermaphrodite, nounhibernate, verbhistamine, nounhoming, adjectivehormone, nounhost, nounimpregnate, verbimpulse, nounincubate, verbindigenous, adjectiveinfected, adjectiveinfertile, adjectiveinfest, verbingest, verbinhale, verbinseminate, verbinsensate, adjectiveinsulin, nounintegument, nounintercourse, nouninterferon, nounintestine, nouninvertebrate, nouninvoluntary, adjectiveiris, nounjaw, nounjelly, nounkidney, nounkrill, nounlactate, verblactation, nounlactic acid, nounleech, nounleg, nounlesser, adjectivelichen, nounlife, nounlife cycle, nounlife form, nounligament, nounlimb, nounlimpet, nounlipid, nounliver, nounliving fossil, nounlocomotion, nounlymph, nounlymph node, nounmale, adjectivemale, nounmammal, nounmandible, nounmate, nounmate, verbmembrane, nounmetabolism, nounmetabolize, verbmetamorphosis, nounmicrobe, nounmicrobiology, nounmicroorganism, nounmicroscopic, adjectivemigrate, verbmigratory, adjectivemiscarriage, nounmolar, nounmorphology, nounmotor, adjectivemould, nounmouth, nounmucous membrane, nounmucus, nounmulticellular, adjectivemuscle, nounmuscular, adjectivemutant, nounmutate, verbmutation, nounnatural history, nounnatural selection, nounnature, nounneck, nounnectar, nounnerve, nounnervous, adjectivenervous system, nounneural, adjectiveneuro-, prefixneurology, nounnode, nounnose, nounnostril, nounnucleic acid, nounnucleus, nounnutrient, nounnutriment, nounoesophagus, nounoestrogen, nounolfactory, adjectiveoptic, adjectiveorgan, nounorganic, adjectiveorganic chemistry, nounorganism, nounorifice, nounossify, verbosteo-, prefixoutgrowth, nounova, ovary, nounoverwinter, verboviduct, nounoviparous, adjectiveovulate, verbovum, nounparasite, nounpathogen, nounpedigree, nounpelvic, adjectivepelvis, nounpenile, adjectivepenis, nounpepsin, nounperiod, nounperspiration, nounperspire, verbphotosynthesis, nounphylum, nounpigment, nounpigmentation, nounplankton, nounplasma, nounpollinate, verbpostnatal, adjectivepregnancy, nounpregnant, adjectivepremature, adjectiveprenatal, adjectiveproduct, nounproliferation, nounpropagate, verbprotein, nounprotoplasm, nounprotozoan, nounpuberty, nounpulmonary, adjectivepulp, nounpulsation, nounputrefy, verbputrid, adjectivered blood cell, nounregurgitate, verbrenal, adjectivereproduce, verbreproduction, nounreproductive, adjectiverespiration, nounrespiratory, adjectiverespire, verbretina, nounroot, nounrot, verbrot, nounruff, nounsac, nounsaliva, nounsalivary gland, nounsalivate, verbsaltwater, adjectivescale, nounscallop, nounscaly, adjectivesebaceous, adjectivesecrete, verbsecretion, nounsemen, nounsense organ, nounsensory, adjectiveserum, nounsex, nounsex, verbsexless, adjectivesexual intercourse, nounsheath, nounshell, nounsibling, nounskeletal, adjectiveskeleton, nounskin, nounskull, nounspasm, nounspasmodic, adjectivespecies, nounspecimen, nounsperm, nounspiderweb, nounspinal cord, nounspine, nounspineless, adjectivestarch, nounstem cell, nounstimulate, verbstimulus, nounstrain, nounsubject, nounsubspecies, nounsucker, nounsucrose, nounsweat, verbsweat, nounsweat gland, nounsymbiosis, nounsystemic, adjectivetail, nountaxonomy, nounteeth, testosterone, nountest-tube baby, nountissue, nountrachea, nountube, noununicellular, adjectiveurethra, nounuric, adjectiveurinate, verburine, nounvariety, nounvector, nounvein, nounvenom, nounvenomous, adjectiveventricle, nounvertebra, nounvertebrate, nounvivisection, nounwarm-blooded, adjectivewean, verbwildlife, nounwindpipe, nounyolk, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES► the ecological balance
1connected with the way plants, animals, and people are related to each other and to their environment → environmental: · Human activity is ruining the ecological balance of our planet.
► an ecological/environmental disaster (=causing great damage to nature)· This region is facing an ecological disaster as a result of toxic waste.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN► approach· New ecological approaches sought to help us understand human adaptation to the environment.· Cowles developed an ecological approach within an academic framework that stressed rigorous pure research.· We have already seen how pioneers of the ecological approach forged an alliance with specialists from the environmental sciences.
► balance· What of our own ecological balance sheet for the trees?· In general landowners were expected to work the land and to increase productivity, but not to upset the ecological balance.· The ecological balance in the area could be destroyed.· The effluents we pour heedlessly into its waters are a threat to its delicate ecological balance.· They harvest its riches without destroying the ecological balance.· Factory-farming makes pollution, excessive meat-eating upsets the ecological balance, trapping and hunting can injure habitat, and so on.· Researchers believe that the ecological balance was upset by the decision to introduce the Nile perch into the lake in 1960.
► catastrophe· Environmental protection Overpopulation in the Majority World has often been blamed for ecological catastrophe.· If they do this, ecological catastrophe is inevitable.
► crisis· The challenges of hunger, of poverty, of ecological crisis.· And that has worsened the overall ecological crisis that engine efficiency was originally meant to solve.· In part, McKenna sees this as a natural reaction to the ecological crisis brought on by the modern era.· Yet the people targeted by them still live with economic stagnation, political repression, malnutrition and ecological crisis.
► damage· The legacy of the Duvalierist years included endemic corruption and vast ecological damage.· Some of these carry toxic cargoes and an accident could result in economic as well as ecological damage.
► disaster· But if they do not leave, he said, ecological disaster could be as little as five or 10 years away.· Rampart Dam, however, was an ecological disaster probably with-out precedent in the world.· In sum, our nation was headed toward ecological disaster.· Ben has adapted his zany thriller about ecological disaster and will play the lead.· Then there was Nordhausen - an industrial centre which was an ecological disaster.· But it's also a story of ecological disaster and man's excess.· Tex Slampacker was referring to yet another man-made ecological disaster.
► impact· Clearly, a better understanding of long term ecological impact needs to be encouraged.
► issue· The growing awareness of environmental and ecological issues often coincides with traditional beliefs and practices.
► niche· This in turn has led to rapid evolution to fill the vacant or new ecological niches.· Some thing or things have to happen for a microbe to escape its previously harmless ecological niche and reach critical mass.· By contrast, the appeal of the industrial co-operative remains unchallengeable, its ecological niche exclusive to it.· It is an organism that has taken advantage of a man-made ecological niche, created in buildings' water systems.· Fewer plants equate to fewer ecological niches and fewer species of animals to fill them.· Old ecological niches were destroyed in the process and new ones opened up.
► problem· How our sensibilities in regard to social and ecological problems have evolved over the last 40 years.· Paradoxically the ecological problems deriving from the application of artificial fertilizers are often equally complex and extensive.· The basic ecological problem of limited resources remains.· Both are concerned to overcome the ecological problem by using biotechnology.· The ecological problem forced itself on to our consciousness.· Creative solutions to our ecological problems?· We know that there is an ecological problem.
► system· The second is to gain the knowledge and experience to maintain humans within equilibrium in a closed ecological system.
an ecological disaster2interested in preserving the environment → environment: ecological groups—ecologically /-kli/ adverb: This method of growing crops is effective and ecologically sound (=not likely to harm the environment).