Question 5 of 7beginner🧠 RememberShort Answer2 marks

Define population and community.

Correct Answer

Population: A population is a group of individuals of a given species living in a well-defined geographical area, sharing or competing for similar resources, and potentially interbreeding. For ecological studies, groups resulting from asexual reproduction are also considered populations. Examples include all cormorants in a wetland or teakwood trees in a forest tract.

Community: In ecology, community is identified as one of the four levels of biological organisation, along with organisms, populations, and biomes. (Note: The detailed definition of community is not provided in the given context.)

Exercise: EXERCISES | Q: 6 | (Page 239)
For More Understanding

Explanation

The context provides a comprehensive definition of population from Section 11.1.1, describing it as a group of individuals of a species in a defined geographical area sharing resources and potentially interbreeding. The summary section reinforces this definition. However, while 'community' is mentioned multiple times as one of the four levels of biological organisation in ecology (organisms, populations, communities, and biomes), the specific definition of community is not included in the provided text chunks. Students should note that a complete definition of community would typically describe it as an assemblage of different populations interacting in a shared environment.

Solution Steps

  1. Step 1: Extract population definition from Section 11.1.1 - group of individuals of a species in defined area sharing resources and interbreeding

  2. Step 2: Note that community is only mentioned as one of four levels of biological organisation without detailed definition in the context