7: Population Growth and Dynamics
Recall that one of the scales of ecology is populations , or groups of individuals operating in the same time and place (Fig 7.0.1). Important considerations for populations include the number of individuals in the population, termed population size , and the patterns and drivers of changes in the population size across space and time, termed population dynamics . These concepts consider how the life history traits discussed in the previous section such as reproductive output, dispersal, and life span of individual organisms scale up to population growth or decline across space and time.
Image Credits
Title Image: photo by L Gerhart-Barley