Experimental ecology is a branch of ecology that focuses on conducting controlled experiments in order to better understand relationships between organisms and their environment. Researchers in this field often manipulate different variables (such as temperature, food availability, or predator presence) in order to observe how these changes impact the behavior, growth, reproduction, and overall survival of organisms within a particular ecosystem. Experimental ecology can help scientists to predict how ecosystems may respond to environmental changes, human impacts, and other disturbances. It is an important tool in the field of ecology for testing hypotheses, generating new knowledge, and informing conservation and management strategies.