Population Dynamics

How populations grow, shrink, and change can tell scientists quite a bit about the health of a species and an ecosystem. In this topic, you will learn how both biotic and abiotic factors impact populations. In addition, you will explore the limitations of populations and how these limitations are determined. Finally, you will examine different population curves, which are graphic depictions of how populations change over time.

Essential Questions

• What are the different characteristics of populations?
• What information do population curves provide about a population?
• How do scientists study populations?