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Article: Population Dynamics
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- Biology
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CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Population Dynamics
A population is a collection of individual organisms of the same species that occupy some specific area. The term "population dynamics" refers to how the number of individuals in a population changes over time. Biologists study the factors that affect population dynamics because they are interested in topics such as conservation of endangered species (for example, the Florida panther) and management of fish and wildlife. In addition, basic knowledge about the processes that affect population dynamics can be used to predict future patterns of human population growth.
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