Final answer:
An ecologist who takes the population approach to the study of ecology would focus on the study of individuals of a species, looking at how numbers and structures of populations change over time. Option b) The study of individuals of a species is the correct answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
Ecology is the scientific study of the interactions of living things with each other and with their environment. It encompasses several levels of biological organization, including organismal ecology, population ecology, community ecology, and ecosystem ecology.
Specifically, population ecology focuses on the study of the number of individuals in an area and how and why a population size changes over time. It examines factors such as birth rates, death rates, immigration, and emigration that influence population dynamics and demographics.
An ecologist taking the population approach would therefore most likely be interested in factors affecting the size and structure of groups of individuals of the same species and how these factors change over time.
This could include studying the reproductive strategies, survival rates, and population growth of a species within a given habitat. Hence, the correct option in the context of population ecology is: (b) The study of individuals of a species.