POPULATION ECOLOGY

Population ecology is a branch of ecology that studies

the structure and dynamics of populations. A population
is defined as a group of organisms of the same species
occupying a particular habitat.

Population density is defined as the number of

organisms per unit area of the habitat. Population density
is affected by various factors such as the abiotic and
biotic factors, birth rate, death rate, immigration and
emigration. Biotic interactions such as competition,
predation and parasitism also regulate population growth.

One of the methods to estimate the size and density of a

population is through direct counting. This method is
useful for large organisms in an open habitat such as
large mammals, nestling birds or huge trees. However,
this method is often impractical due to the size of the
ecosystem, the number of plants involved and the
movements of the animals. Instead, a more practical way
is to take a sample (a small number) of the organisms in
an ecosystem. Sampling techniques enable us to
estimate the total population size of the organisms.
 THE QUADRAT SAMPLING TECHNIQUE

The quadrat sampling technique is primarily used in estimating

the size of plant populations. It may also be used in the study of
the populations of immobile animals. A quadrat is typically a
metal or a wooden frame which forms a square of a known area,
such as 1 m. The size of the quadrat used depends on the
organisms being studied. The quadrat is placed randomly in the
ecosystem where sampling is carried out. This technique can be
used to determine:

(a)Frequency

Frequency is the number of times a particular species is found

present when a quadrat is thrown a certain number of times.

Frequency= number of quadrats containing the species number of quadrats

×100%

(b)Density

Density is the mean number of individuals of a species per unit

area.

Density= total number of individuals of a species in all quadrats number of

quadrats ×quadrat area

(c)Percentage coverage

Percentage coverage is an indication of how much area of the

quadrat is occupied by a species. The percentage coverage is
useful when it is not possible to identify separate individuals.

Percentage coverage = aerial coverage of all quadrats ( m² )number of

quadrats ×quadrat area × 100%
 THE CAPTURE, MARK, RELEASE AND
RECAPTURE TECHNIQUE

This technique is used to estimate the populations of

mobile animals such as small mammals, butterflies, birds,
woodlice and insects. A specific animal sample is
captured and marked with a ring, tag or with waterproof
coloured ink, paint or nail varnish. The marked animals
are released into the general population. After a suitable
period of time, a second sample is captured and the
number of marked animals is recorded. The population
size of the animals in the area can be estimated using the
formula below:

Population size = (no. of individuals in the first sample) ×

(no. of individuals in the second sample)
no. of marked individuals recaptured