THREE reasons for the study of population density and distribution.
Answers
1. Demographic studies help scientists understand the population dynamics of species, such as invasive species like the Asian carp.
2. Scientists gain additional insight into a species’ biology and ecology from studying how individuals are spatially distributed. Dispersion or distribution patterns show the spatial relationship between members of a population within a habitat. Patterns are often characteristic of a particular species; they depend on local environmental conditions and the species’ growth characteristics (as for plants) or behavior (as for animals).
3. These data allow scientists to model the fluctuations of a population over time. For example, a larger population may be more stable than a smaller population. With less genetic variation, a smaller population will have reduced capacity to adapt to environmental changes. Individuals in a low-density population are thinly dispersed; hence, they may have more difficulty finding a mate compared to individuals in a higher-density population. On the other hand, high-density populations often result in increased competition for food.