Question

The study of nutrient cycling through the environment is an example of which of the following?

a. organismal ecology

b. population ecology

c. community ecology

d. ecosystem ecology

Short answer

The Correct Answer is Option (d) ecosystem ecology

Step-by-step solution

Introduction

Ecology is the study of how living organisms interact with their surroundings. Understanding the distribution and quantity of living creatures in the physical environment is one of ecology's main goals.

Reason for the Incorrect options

• The study of an organism's morphological, physiological, and behavioral adaptations that allow it to exist in a certain environment is known as organismal ecology.
• Population ecology is the study of the number of people in a given area, as well as how and why that number fluctuates over time.
• The study of the factors that influence the distribution and abundance of animal and plant populations is known as population ecology.
• The study of how communities, which are assemblages of interacting populations of species residing in a certain area or habitat, are organized and function is known as community ecology.

Reason for the correct option

Ecosystem ecology is the study of ecosystems' living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) components, as well as their interactions within a framework. This branch of science studies how ecosystems function and how chemicals, bedrock, soil, plants, and animals interact.

Awareness of how ecosystems function begins with an understanding of how sunlight is transformed into useful energy, the importance of nutrient cycling, and mankind's impact on the environment. Plants turn sunlight into carbon-based energy that can be used. Energy flow in ecosystems can be calculated using primary and secondary production in populations. The impact of atmospheric CO₂ on agricultural production and food quality will be studied in the future.