Question

The term autecology refers to study of
A. Plant community
B. Individual organism
C. Environment
D. Soil form

Answer 1

Hint: The term autecology is commonly known as species ecology.

Complete answer: Ecology is a vast branch of biology that primarily deals with the distribution, abundance and most importantly the interactions of living organisms at a global level of communities, populations, and ecosystems.
Ecology further has different subfields and one of them happens to be Autecology.

1. Autecology is the in-depth study of the interaction of a single species with respect to the environment unlike synecology which is based on how the environment affects groups of species coexisting in a particular area.
2. Autecology primarily takes into account both biotic and abiotic factors affecting the particular species in any ecosystem or environment.
3. For example, it aims to measure factors that include nutrient availability, light, and humidity in relation to the organism or species thriving in that particular environment.
4. Autecology is largely experimental and deals with such easily measured variables. It is done as an effort to better improve our understanding of the needs, life history, and more importantly the certain characteristic behavior shown by the organisms of one particular species. By doing so, it makes it easier to explain their distribution and abundance in a particular habitat.
5. Autecology connects various other biological fields such as ethology, evolution, genetics and even physiology to some extent.

So, the correct answer is B. Individual organism

Note: German field botanists pioneered the field of autecology in the late 19th century.