Population Ecology

Overview

Population ecology is the branch of ecology that studies the size, density, structure, distribution, and dynamics of populations of organisms and how these change over time in response to environmental conditions, resource availability, predation, competition, and other biotic and abiotic factors. It examines processes such as birth and death rates, migration, dispersal, carrying capacity, and the genetic forces that shape populations, including how small or isolated populations face risks of decline and extinction. These concepts underpin conservation biology and wildlife management. The journal Plant and Animal Ecology has published peer-reviewed work touching on aspects of population dynamics and persistence, including a study of the white-eared kob in Ethiopia that examines the species' migration status, potential anthropogenic threats, and conservation directives from an ecotourism perspective, which speaks directly to the assessment of wildlife population status and decline. The journal has also published an allele-based analysis of evolution and extinction using a genetic drift approach, relevant to how stochastic genetic processes influence the fate of small populations. Together these contributions reflect the field's concern with population persistence and change. This page gathers peer-reviewed, open-access research relevant to population ecology published in the journal.

Research published in this journal

3 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.

This page summarises published research for orientation; it is not medical or professional advice.

Related topics