BIO205H5 Chapter : BIO205 Textbook Notes.docx
Document Summary
A population is a group of individuals of the same species that inhabit a given area. Suggests the potential (in sexually reproducing organisms) for interbreeding among member of the population. As such, the population is a genetic unit. It defines the gene pool, the focus of evolution. Distribution is based on the presence and absence of individuals, and is influenced by the occurrence of suitable environmental conditions. Within the geographic range of a population, individuals are not distributed equally throughout the area, and this range can be limited by factors such as geographic barriers (i. e. ocean between two islands) and interaction with other species (i. e. predation/competition). Abundance: whereas distribution defines the spatial extent of a population, abundance defines its size the number of individuals in the population. Abundance is a function of two factors: 1) the population density, and 2) the area over which the population is distributed.
