Learning Objectives
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
- Describe how ecologists measure population size and density
- Describe three different patterns of population distribution
- Use life tables to calculate mortality rates
- Describe the three types of survivorship curves and relate them to specific populations
Populations are dynamic entities. Their size and composition fluctuate in response to numerous factors, including seasonal and yearly changes in the environment, natural disasters such as forest fires and volcanic eruptions, and competition for resources between and within species. The statistical study of populations is called demography: a set of mathematical tools designed to describe populations and investigate how they change. Many of these tools were actually designed to study human populations. For example, life tables, which detail the life expectancy of individuals within a population, were initially developed by life insurance companies to set insurance rates. In fact, while the term “demographics” is sometimes assumed to mean a study of human populations, all living populations can be studied using this approach.
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