The top 15 countries in ecology are: Peking University, Sun Yat-sen University, Fudan University, East China Normal University, Beijing Normal University, Lanzhou University, Xiamen University, Sichuan University, Zhejiang University, Nanjing University, Northeast Normal University, Wuhan University, Yunnan University, China Agricultural University and Nanjing Agricultural University.

Ecology is a concept defined by ernst haeckel, a German biologist, in 1866: Ecology is a science that studies the relationship between an object and its surroundings (including abiotic environment and biological environment). At present, it has developed into a "science that studies the relationship between living things and their environment".

A relatively complete and independent discipline, with its own research object, tasks and methods. Their research methods have gone through three processes: description-experiment-substance quantification. The introduction of concepts and methods such as system theory, cybernetics and information theory has promoted the development of ecological theory.