In community ecology, which statement correctly distinguishes a population from a community?

• A. A population includes all the abiotic factors in an ecosystem, whereas a community includes only the producers in that ecosystem.
• B. A population consists of individuals of the same species living in the same area, whereas a community consists of populations of different species living and interacting in the same area.
• C. A population refers to trophic levels in a food web, whereas a community refers to a single organism and its habitat.
• D. A population is all species living in a region, whereas a community is only one species living in that region.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the definition of a population in ecology. A population is a group of individuals of the same species that live in the same geographic area and have the capability to interbreed.
2. Step 2: Understand the definition of a community in ecology. A community consists of all the populations of different species that live and interact within a particular area.
3. Step 3: Compare the two definitions to identify the key difference: a population involves only one species, while a community includes multiple species interacting together.
4. Step 4: Evaluate the given statements by checking if they correctly reflect these definitions. The correct statement should say that a population is individuals of the same species in an area, and a community is multiple populations of different species in the same area.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the correct distinction is that a population consists of individuals of the same species living in the same area, whereas a community consists of populations of different species living and interacting in the same area.