How is a population defined?

A population is defined as all individuals of a species that occupy a specific area at a given time. This definition is important because it emphasizes both the spatial and temporal aspects of population dynamics. Understanding a population in this way allows ecologists to study how species interact with their environment, how they reproduce, and how their numbers may change over time due to various factors such as resource availability, predation, and disease.

This definition captures the concept of a population being localized, which is crucial for studying population density, distribution, and other ecological parameters. It also sets the stage for understanding concepts like carrying capacity and population growth models, as populations can be affected by changes in their immediate environment and the dynamics of their interactions with other organisms present in that location.