Ecology is the scientific study of interactions among organisms and their_____. (fill in the blanks) habitat niche environment population

The correct answer is "environment."

Explanation

Ecology focuses on how living organisms interact with each other and with their physical surroundings, which includes air, water, soil, and other organisms in their environment. While "habitat" and "niche" are related terms in ecology—referring to where an organism lives and its role in the ecosystem, respectively—"environment" is the broadest term that encompasses all aspects affecting organisms. The term "population" refers to a group of individuals of the same species living in a particular area, but it does not capture the broader interactions that ecology studies.

Thus, ecology is fundamentally about the interactions between organisms and their environment.