In community ecology, how does a population differ from a community?

• A. A population includes all the abiotic factors in an ecosystem, whereas a community includes only biotic factors.
• B. A population refers to the global distribution of a species, whereas a community refers to a local group of individuals of that species.
• C. A population consists of individuals of one species living in the same area, whereas a community consists of populations of multiple species living and interacting in the same area.
• D. A population is all species and their interactions in a habitat, whereas a community is individuals of a single species in that habitat.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the definition of a population in community ecology. A population is a group of individuals belonging to the same species that live in a specific geographic area and can interbreed.
2. Step 2: Understand the definition of a community. A community consists of all the populations of different species that live and interact within the same area.
3. Step 3: Compare the two concepts by focusing on species diversity: a population includes only one species, while a community includes multiple species.
4. Step 4: Recognize that abiotic factors (non-living components like temperature, water, soil) are part of the ecosystem but are not included in the definitions of population or community.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the key difference is that a population is a single species group in an area, whereas a community is multiple species populations interacting in the same area.