What is the Population of Ecology explain?
Ecology is also studied at a higher level of organization the population level. In biological terms, a population is defined as a group of individuals of the same species that occupy a given physical space or geographic area. For example, all of the snapping turtles in a pond, all the people living on Maui, all of the Volvox (a species of green algae) living in an aquarium, or all of the rats living in a given neighborhood each represent populations. Therefore, population ecology addresses the interrelationships between populations and other populations, and the relationships between the population as a grouping and its environment.
The population level of organization is very often used as a key indicator in understanding environmental conditions. Whether the size of a population is increasing or decreasing can reflect changing physical or biological factors. Populations have a specific niche that is, each population has its own characteristic size, density, distribution, role in energy flow, and role in nutrient cycling. So if a population grows, it will impact its environment in a variety of ways. Conversely, the environment can impact upon the populations size and distribution, among other things.
- Population Size
- Patterns of Distribution
In nature, individuals within populations show different patterns of dispersion. Populations are usually dispersed three different ways: evenly (or regularly), randomly, or clustered (clumped). Clumped distributions can reflect many different causes presence/absence of nutrients or water, perhaps substrate, or even sunlight. Uniform or regular distributions usually indicate a territory defined by an animal, a limited water supply, or perhaps even defensive chemicals, which are produced by plants to ensure enough resources for all. Random distributions are normally found in populations such as fish in a pond, or trees in a forest. Random patterns are not as common as are clumped or even ones in nature.
- Even
- Clumped
- Random
- Density
Population density is another important ecological concept that is studied by scientists. The concentration of individuals within a population can act as an influencing factor. For example, if the numbers of individuals increases, resources may become limiting, or heightened competition for a mate could result in behavioral changes within a population. Conversely, if there are too few individuals within a population, the chances for meeting a suitable mate to reproduce decrease, which could further reduce the size of the population.