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.

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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

1Unity & Diversity - Molecules

2Unity & Diversity - Cells

3Unity & Diversity - Organisms

4Unity & Diversity - Ecosystems

5Form & Function - Molecules

6Form & Function - Cells

7Form & Function - Organisms

8Form & Function - Ecosystems

9Interaction & Interdependence - Molecules

10Interaction & Interdependence - Cells

11Interaction & Interdependence - Organisms

12Interaction & Interdependence - Ecosystems

12.1Populations & Communities

12.2Transfers of Energy & Matter

13Continuity & Change - Molecules

14Continuity & Change - Cells

15Continuity & Change - Organisms

16Continuity & Change - Ecosystems

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