Population Vs Abundance (1 Viewer)

[Lukybear]

What is the difference between population of a specises in a ecosystem and the abundance of a species?

 

[Lukybear]

Bump Plz??

 

[Kwayera]

Well it depends on what you're talking about. In ecology, a population is a group of individual organisms that interbreed in a particular geographical area. When there is gene flow between populations (i.e. through dispersal), the collection of individual populations is called a metapopulation (again in a particular geographical area). Abundance is simply the number of individuals IN a population/metapopulation.

 

[Lukybear]

Thanks. I think i get it now.

 

[Kwayera]

Simple analogy:
Population = basket of apples
Abundance = number of apples in the basket

 

[Lukybear]

Thxs for the anology.

As we're on topic right now, can i just ask, are there ways to measure animal Distribution.

Is it the same as measuring plant distribution i.e. profile sketch?

 

[Kwayera]

Well, I guess it depends on the animal. For, say, small reptiles, you'd do random quadrats of an area, and produce a distribution map based on what you found in the quadrats. IDK what a "profile sketch" is.

 

[Lukybear]

Its just drawing transect of the area, and describing the distrubiton of a species from the sketch.

Isnt random quadrats used for measuring abundance of plant/animals (slow moving). How can distribution be acquired from that?

 

[Kwayera]

Well if you do it across a large enough area, you can build up a distribution map from where you find them and where you don't.

 

[Lukybear]

awesome. Thanks for the help.