Question

Identify the major difference between a community and a population in an ecosystem and give one example of each.

Answer 1

The difference between a population and a community is that the former comprises individuals of the same species, while the latter includes all populations of different species that interact in an ecosystem. A forest's pine trees are an example of a population, whereas the forest's community includes the pine trees along with other plants, insects, and microorganisms.

Step-by-step explanation:

The major difference between a community and a population in an ecosystem is that a population consists of all the individuals of a single species living within a specific area, whereas a community includes all the populations of different species that live and interact within the ecosystem. An example of a population could be all the white pine trees in a forest. In contrast, the community would be the sum of various populations in the forest such as the trees, flowering plants, insects, and microbial populations.

An ecosystem encompasses the community along with the abiotic, or non-living, environmental factors. Ecologists find the distinction between community and ecosystem important because it helps them understand the complex interactions among species and between those species and their environment, which shape the dynamics and sustainability of the ecosystem.

Answer 2

A community is a variety of species living within one area. A community is made up of a variety of populations. Populations are only one type of species. So, a community is a population of all of the fish in a pond while a population is just all of the rainbow trout or some other species.