Ecosystems can be studied through a variety of methods.  Some are more useful than others for learning about certain features of the ecosystem, and as a result, different methods are employed by different people.

The ways to study ecosystems have been broken down into two main systems by Evelyn Hutchinson: holistic and meristic. Both approaches are useful in different ways.

The holistic approach views ecosystems as a "black box."  It takes into account the things which go into the ecosystem, those which come out, and those which are stored.  For example, a researcher might look at what chemicals enter a river, which ones stay in it, and what chemical output is produced by the river.  This process might be used by a physicist or an engineer studying an ecosystem.

Alternatively, a biologist would view the environment with a meristic perspective.  This method examines each component of the ecosystem, and looks at the parts' relationships to one another.

Those who study ecosystems might also look at the ecosystem through a variety of steps.  First, they would describe the characteristics of the ecosystem including its location, components, and environmental features.  Then, they would compare the ecosystem with others, look at how it has changed, measure its characteristics and the cycles it goes through, and examine what factors have affected it.

This process involves extensive scientific research to gain information about relationships between components of the ecosystem and seeks to build scientific models to understand the ecosystem.