What is the Definition of Population in Biology?
Answer – In biology, a population is defined as a group of individuals of the same species living in a particular region at the same time.
Explanation:
For ease of research, every ecosystem is organized into a number of levels. From the smallest, the levels are individual, population, community, ecosystem, biome, and biosphere.
A population refers to all individuals of a particular species that live in a defined area at the same time. For example, human beings are a species scattered across the world. However, only those living in a specific region, like say New York City, comprise a population.
Thus, one species makes up several populations, with each population including only some members of a species.
Populations vary over time with births and deaths. They are also impacted by the displacement of individuals to/from other geographic regions due to changes in resource availability and environmental factors.
Further, the growth of a population can be supported by its environment only till it reaches the carrying capacity. This is the maximum size beyond which the population cannot grow.
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