What is the study of ecology primarily concerned with?

The study of ecology is primarily concerned with the environment and ecosystems because it focuses on the interactions between organisms and their physical surroundings. Ecology examines how living organisms, including plants, animals, and microorganisms, interact with one another and with their habitat, including the factors that affect their distribution, abundance, and relationships within ecosystems. This encompasses various levels of organization, from individuals and populations to communities and entire ecosystems. By studying these interactions, ecologists can better understand the dynamics of ecosystems, biodiversity, and the impacts of human activities on the environment.

While topics such as the structure of DNA, the anatomy of organisms, and the behavior of individual species are important in the broader field of biology, they are not the central focus of ecology. Instead, they may be considered more relevant to fields like genetics, anatomy, and ethology, respectively.