Correct Answer: Option A (1 and 2 only)
The term ecology encompasses both the study of species interactions and abiotic influences.
This statement is correct. Ecology is the scientific study of the relationships between living organisms and their environment, including both biotic (living) interactions between species and abiotic (non-living) factors such as temperature, soil composition, water availability, etc.
Population dynamics, community structure, and ecosystem energy flow are subfields of ecology.
This statement is also correct. Ecology is divided into several hierarchical levels of study:
Population dynamics examines how populations of a single species change over time
Community structure studies how different species interact within a defined area
Ecosystem energy flow analyzes how energy moves through different trophic levels in an ecosystem
All of these are legitimate and important subfields within ecology.
Ecology focuses solely on wildlife and forest conservation.
This statement is incorrect. While ecology does inform conservation efforts, it is not limited solely to wildlife and forest conservation. Ecology studies all types of ecosystems (marine, freshwater, terrestrial) and all organisms (not just wildlife), including microorganisms, plants, fungi, and animals. Additionally, ecology includes theoretical, applied, and experimental approaches beyond just conservation.
