Population
Population Definition:
Population defined as the number of the same species which live in certain geographic area at the same time having the capability of interbreeding. The populations can be lies on many different scales. The local population may be confined to a partially small area, such as a fish in one pond. The locality of the population can operate on countrywide, island, regional or continental scale. If the species of the local populations have the ability to disperse between the other local populations, this is known as Metapopulation.
It is the study about the population characteristics and other factors that affect their size and create a disturbance. Most of the population not stabled as fluctuation in size over time. The fluctuation is responsible for changes in abiotic and biotic factors that work as limiting factors against the indefinite exponential growth of the populations.
Limiting Factors for Animals Populations
The population characteristics are as to how it affected by certain factors. The effects which are density-dependent factors can have on a population and determine by size. Limiting factors like the availability of food, water, and shelter can impact an organism’s population.
In nature, populations of animals and plants are joined along like a puzzle. The items of the plant and animal puzzle depend upon one another to create a whole image of the ecosystem. If one thing is wrong with any of the items, it impacts the complete puzzle.
In the wildlife, limiting factors just like the availableness of food, water, shelter, and house can change animal and plant populations. other limiting factors, like competition for resources, predation, and disease additionally impact populations. If any of the limiting factors change, animal and plant populations additionally change.
Increases within the population aren’t perpetually sensible. sometimes a population can grow large for the setting to support. other changes in limiting factors will cause a population to decrease. If a population becomes pathologic, the population could decrease and therefore the population of animals that eat diseased animals will also decrease.
In nature, populations typically balance themselves. sometimes when man impacts populations, they can’t continuously re-establish a natural balance.
Human Factors
Humans will impact animal and plant populations. when humans develop land for homes and buildings, they hamper trees and alter animal and plant habitats. Some animals, just like the raccoon and the skunk, can adapt, but different animals can’t adapt and their populations are hurt.
The common loon nests onto land close to massive lakes. Some loon nesting places have been taken by human development and therefore the loon population has reduced. Pollution may also hurt animal and plant populations. generally hunting can impact animal populations. Whale populations are lowered as a result of overhunting.
Natural Factors
Predator/prey relationships play an enormous role in animal populations. If the balance between predator and prey is changed, populations are modified. The white-tailed deer population in some areas has fully grown too large as a result of there are not any natural predators. Mountain lions and wolves are the natural predators of the white-tailed deer. Wolf and panther populations are lowered because of overhunting and environment loss. This loss of a natural predator for the white-tailed deer, alongside other factors, has led to the overpopulation of the white-tailed deer in some areas.
Examples of Population of Animals:
Some examples are described below:
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African Elephants:
There are two classified species of the elephant; African elephant and Asian elephant. In fact, the researchers often divide the African Elephants into two species; the African Bush Elephant and African Forest Elephant.
The African elephants were approximate 5 million in the early 1900s. But the elephant populations suffered severely by the fragmentation and poaching for their tusks. Nowadays, there are around 400,000 remaining African Elephants.
The group structure of elephants is composed of family units around 10 individuals. While they bond to create a larger group when elephant families come into connecting, which is known as ‘Herds’ of up to 100.
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Pond Populations:
There are many different populations in a habitat. A lack is the example of pond populations, which gives a habitat for fishes, birds, insects, amphibians, and mammals like rats otters. Each species provided with the resources of lack as their populations are relay on the habitat in unique ways. Amphibians like toads can spawn in a lake and may use many nearby lakes in a valley in order to feeding. On the other hand, migrating birds can visit the lack of seasonally to form the local populations.
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Salmon:
Many salmon are Anadromous, as these species born in the freshwater before the migration to the ocean in order to feed and become mature, and then return to freshwater for breeding.
The salmons refer to return toward the same river where they were born for spawning themselves. The salmons often do not stray far away from their native spawn location for the strong desire of home.
During the time spending at sea, salmon have contact with the salmon from the other local populations. However, there are no barriers lies between local populations of the same species.
The salmon can be categorized in the Metapopulations structure due to their life cycle.
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