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Population ecology is a subfield of ecology that studies how populations of species change over time and space. It examines how populations interact with their environment, including birth and death rates, and immigration and emigration.
Population ecology focuses on understanding the patterns and processes of change for populations of a single species.
Populations can be described by their: Size: The total number of individuals Density: The number of individuals per unit of area Dispersion: How individuals in a population are arranged spatially relative to one another
Population ecology has its roots in the study of population growth, regulation, and dynamics, or demography.
Population ecology research methods include: Marking a sample of captured animals in some way Releasing them back into the environment Allowing them to mix with the rest of the population Later, collecting a new sample, including some individuals that are marked (recaptures)
Environmental factors that can allow a population to grow or cause it to decline include: Food, Water, Shelter, Predation, Density. Genetic variation is more easily sustained in large populations than in small populations.
Related Test: Basic Biology Practice Test: Basics of Ecology and the Biosphere
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