The Unique Features of Populations

THE UNIQUE FEATURES OF POPULATIONS

by Anton Antonio

June 29, 2015

A population is composed of all inhabitants of a particular town, area, or country.  A more technical definition of population is: A population is a group of interacting organisms of the same species living in a particular space (Medina, Zafaralla, Sierra, Cuevas, Macandog and Cervancia, 1999).  Other more common definitions of population are: (a) the whole number of people or inhabitants in a country or region; and, (b) the total of individuals occupying an area or making up a whole.

There are two basic sets of features of populations.  Included in the first set of features are: (a) POPULATION SIZE – the number of individuals; (b) POPULATION DENSITY – the number of individuals that live in a given area; and, (c) DISPERSION – the way the individuals of the population are arranged.  The other set of features are: (a) dispersion patterns; (b) population density; and, (c) growth rate.  A population can also be characterized by its pattern of distribution or dispersion, dispersal, density, and age structure.

The unique features of a population are the traits that characterize the population as a group (or whole) which are often not exhibited on the individual level.  Some traits of a population are:

1. Particular gene flow as a result of interbreeding;
2. Has a life of its own: it establishes itself, grows, reaches a dynamic equilibrium, and declines;
3. Has unique ways of allocating resources;
4. Able to regulate its own growth; and,
5. May have social behaviour and cooperates for defense, nesting or hunting.

Here are other population-related information:

1. All individuals of ethnic groups in the Philippines is a population is true.  All ethnic groups can be called collectively as population of indigenous people in the Philippines.  Although this is a superficial category from the point of view of an ecologist, it is important category to the development worker.
2. All birds inhabiting Mount Apo can be called a population is false.  The birds of Mount Apo belongs to different species, hence, it cannot be called as one population of birds.  Take note of the characteristics of a population that there is actual or potential interbreeding among the individuals of a population.  Hence, we can only call a group of individuals a population if they belong to the same species.
3. All remaining tamaraws in Mindoro can be called a population is true.
4. All of the fishes found in San Miguel Bay can be called a population is false (for reasons already stated in Item No. 2).

These are just some of the unique features of populations.

Just my little thoughts…

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REFERENCE:

Medina C. P., Zafarall M. T., Sierra Z. N., Cuevas V. C., Macandog D. M. and Cervancia C. R. (1999). “Ecosystems Structure and Dynamics”. University of the Philippines Open University, Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines