8.1.1

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.

Factors affecting populations

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.
Population size and density

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.
Demography

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
1

Unity & Diversity - Molecules

2

Unity & Diversity - Cells

3

Unity & Diversity - Organisms

4

Unity & Diversity - Ecosystems

5

Form & Function - Molecules

6

Form & Function - Cells

7

Form & Function - Organisms

8

Form & Function - Ecosystems

9

Interaction & Interdependence - Molecules

10

Interaction & Interdependence - Cells

11

Interaction & Interdependence - Organisms

12

Interaction & Interdependence - Ecosystems

12.1

Populations & Communities

12.2

Transfers of Energy & Matter

13

Continuity & Change - Molecules

14

Continuity & Change - Cells

15

Continuity & Change - Organisms

16

Continuity & Change - Ecosystems

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