When studying Ecology, we are concerned with the analysis of the interactions of species with each other and of these with the environment. To carry out this analysis, however, it is essential to know some basic concepts. Among these concepts, the notions of population and community.
One population it can be defined as a group of organisms belonging to the same species and living in the same geographical area. Complementing this concept, we can say that these organisms have a greater chance of reproducing among themselves than with other groups of individuals from another region.
The size of a population is limited by the environment in which it lives, since the exaggerated increase, by example, it can cause ecological imbalances and also affect the individuals with whom this population interacts. We can therefore conclude that there is an ideal size for each population that remains more or less constant over time.
When studying a population, ecologists are concerned with analyzing all the factors that influence this group of organisms, such as the number of births and deaths. Furthermore, it is essential to analyze migratory movements, the amount of food available, the number of predators, among other variants that directly affect the size of a population.
As an example of population, we can cite groups of elephants in the African savannah or even groups of monarch butterflies in Canada (see image above).
One community, in turn, is formed by all organisms that live in an area, in a given period of time, that is, all living populations in a region. Some authors also define the community as the living part of an ecosystem.
By analyzing the characteristics of a community, it is possible to observe how populations interact and learn about the ecological processes that exist in this group of organisms. Furthermore, it is possible to understand how species are grouped and how the environment has an effect on these groups.
As an example of community, we can mention the organisms that live deep in aquatic environments (benthic community), such as crustaceans, polychaetes, echinoderms and some species of molluscs. Another example of a community is the set of plants in a forest area or the animals existing in an area of Atlantic forest.
By Ma. Vanessa dos Santos
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/biologia/populacao-comunidade.htm
