Biology for a Changing World

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Recommended: human population growth and the environment

Every environment consists of different populations and ecosystems, two subjects that are studied heavily by some scientists. By definition, a population is a group of organisms of the same species living and interacting in a particular area (Pg. 451 Biology for a Changing World). On the other hand, an ecosystem is defined as the living and nonliving components of an environment, including the communities of organisms present and the physical and chemical environment with which they interact (Pg. 451 Biology for a Changing World). In all ecosystems, there tends to be a population cycle, meaning that there are repeating rises and drops in the size of the population over time (Population Regulation). Cycles like such can be caused by several …show more content…

For instance, many populations see lots of abiotic and biotic influences on their population growth (Pg. 459 Biology for a Changing World). Abiotic meaning nonliving environmental factors and biotic meaning living things. Some examples of abiotic factors are natural occurrences such as precipitation, fires, and temperature changes. Things like such can affect the abundance of food available or even the health of a species. Examples of biotic factors include predators, food, and disease. As you can see, these factors can also affect the health of a …show more content…

Dean, et al. “Critical Assessment and Ramifications of a Purported Marine Trophic Cascade.” Nature News, Nature Publishing Group, 15 Feb. 2016, www.nature.com/articles/srep20970.

Gertz, Emily. “Has The Reintroduction Of Wolves Really Saved Yellowstone?” Popular Science, 14 Mar. 2014, www.popsci.com/article/science/have-wolves-really-saved-yellowstone.

“Population Regulation.” Khan Academy, www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/ecology/population-growth-and-regulation/a/mechanisms-of-population-regulation.

Silliman, Brian R, and Christine Angelini . “Trophic Cascades Across Diverse Plant
Ecosystems.” Nature News, Nature Publishing Group, 2012, www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/trophic-cascades- across-diverse- plant-ecosystems-80060347.

Shuster, Michele, et al. Biology for a Changing World. W. H. Freeman, 2014.

Wilcox, Christie. “Ray Fillets Won’t Save The Bay: Cownose Rays Exonerated.” Science Sushi, 24
Feb. 2016, blogs.discovermagazine.com/science-sushi/2016/02/24/cownose-rays-
exonerated/#.WrJu5xPwYnV.

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