Question

Ecologists can study the interactions of organisms and the environment by focusing on different levels: individuals, populations, communities and ecosystems. Below are different questions that ecologist could ask and investigate. Place the question under the level of ecology is would fit in.

Individual =
Population =
Community =
Ecosystem =

Possible answers
a. How do marine iguanas survive without fresh water?
b.What processes are involved with cycling of nitrogen in a grassland?
c. How do lungfish survive in water with low oxygen?
d. How does the slope of a beach affect the diversity of sand wellers?
e. What is the carrying capacity fro bighorn sheep in the Mojave?
f. What factors restrict the number of birds that can nest in a tree?
g. How does the presence of species A affect the population of species B?
h. How do toads and salamanders ineract in a forest?

Answer 1

Individual = c. How do lungfish survive in water with low oxygen?

Population = e. What is the carrying capacity for bighorn sheep in the Mojave?

Community = h. How do toads and salamanders interact in a forest?

Ecosystem = b. What processes are involved with cycling of nitrogen in a grassland?

Individual-level questions (c) focus on specific adaptations, like lungfish survival. Population-level inquiries (e) delve into the overall capacity of a species, such as bighorn sheep.

Community-level investigations (h) explore interactions among different species, like toads and salamanders. Ecosystem-level questions (b) inquire about broader processes, such as nitrogen cycling, impacting the entire grassland ecosystem.

Each level addresses distinct ecological aspects, reflecting the hierarchical organization of ecological studies.