An in-depth understanding and dynamic modeling of the relationship a robot has with its environment (i.e., the overall ecology) is important to ensure that fielded robotic systems are:
Not competing with other agents that can do the task more effectively and hence prove themselves useless;
Successful competitors within the ecological system and can potentially displace less efficient agents;
Ecologically sensitive so that agent-environmental system dynamics are well-modeled and as predictable as possible whenever new robotic technology is introduced.