4.1.1

Population Dynamics

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Population Dynamics

Populations are dynamic entities. Populations consist all of the species living within a specific area, and populations fluctuate based on a number of factors.

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Factors affecting populations

  • A population consists of individuals of the same species living within a specific area.
  • Populations fluctuate based on both biotic and abiotic factors.
    • These can include seasonal and yearly changes in the environment, natural disasters such as forest fires and volcanic eruptions, and competition for resources between and within species.
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Population size and density

  • The study of any population usually begins by determining how many individuals of a particular species exist, and how closely associated they are with each other.
  • Within a particular habitat, a population can be characterized by:
    • Its population size (N), the total number of individuals,
    • Its population density, the number of individuals within a specific area or volume.
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Demography

  • While population size and density describe a population at one particular point in time, scientists must use demography to study the changing dynamics of a population.
  • This statistical study of these changes, demography, investigates how populations respond to these fluctuations.
    • A shift in populations can affect community structure and the ecosystem as a whole.
  • Demography involves the statistical use ofmetrics like birth rates, death rates, and life expectancies.

Jump to other topics

1Cell Biology

2Molecular Biology

3Genetics

4Ecology

5Evolution & Biodiversity

6Human Physiology

7AHL: Nucleic Acids

8AHL: Metabolism, Cell Respiration & Photosynthesis

9AHL: Plant Biology

9.1Transport in the Xylem of Plants

9.2Transport in the Phloem of Plants

9.3Growth in Plants

10AHL: Genetics & Evolution

11AHL: Animal Physiology

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