Population vs. Community — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on November 2, 2023
Population refers to the total number of individuals of a species in a specific area, while a community is a group of different species interacting within a shared environment.
Difference Between Population and Community
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Population is a term used in biology and sociology referring to the number of individuals belonging to the same species living in a specific geographic area. It focuses on one species. Community, on the other hand, is a broader concept in ecology that includes all the different species living and interacting in a particular area. It encompasses the variety of life and the relationships between these species.
When considering population, one thinks about aspects like population size, density, and the demographics of a particular species. It's a quantifiable and often species-specific term. Community involves understanding the interactions among various populations in an ecosystem, such as symbiotic relationships, competition, and predation. It's more about the dynamics and relationships among different species.
In ecological studies, population dynamics are crucial for understanding how a single species thrives or struggles in an environment, considering factors like birth rates, death rates, and migration. Community ecology, however, looks at how different populations coexist, compete, or benefit each other, providing a more holistic view of an ecosystem.
Conservation efforts often focus on specific populations, aiming to protect endangered species or manage overpopulation. In contrast, when addressing community dynamics, the approach is more about maintaining or restoring the balance and interactions between various species within an ecosystem.
Comparison Chart
Definition
A group of individuals of the same species in an area
A group of interacting populations of different species
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Focus
Single species
Multiple species
Scale
Can be narrow or broad
Broad, ecosystem level
Interaction
Intra-species interaction
Inter-species interaction
Study
Population ecology
Community ecology
Compare with Definitions
Population
The total number of people inhabiting a particular area or country.
The population of Canada is growing steadily.
Community
A feeling of fellowship with others due to shared attitudes and interests.
There's a strong sense of community in our neighborhood.
Population
The inhabitants of a town, area, or country.
The city's population is diverse and multicultural.
Community
A group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.
The local community organized a street festival.
Population
The act of populating an area.
The population of Mars is a topic of interest in science fiction.
Community
The condition of sharing or having certain attitudes and interests in common.
The online gaming community is quite active.
Population
A group of organisms of the same species living in a specific habitat.
The deer population in the forest has doubled in the last decade.
Community
A community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area (e.g.
Population
In biology, a population is a number of all the organisms of the same group or species who live in a particular geographical area and are capable of interbreeding. The area of a sexual population is the area where inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals from other areas.In sociology, population refers to a collection of humans.
Community
A group of people living in the same locality and under the same government.
Population
All the inhabitants of a particular place
The island has a population of about 78,000
Community
The district or locality in which such a group lives.
Population
A community of animals, plants, or humans among whose members interbreeding occurs
Fluctuations in populations of voles and lemmings
Community
A group of people having common interests
The scientific community.
The international business community.
Population
A finite or infinite collection of items under consideration.
Community
A group viewed as forming a distinct segment of society
The gay community.
The community of color.
Population
Each of three groups (designated I, II, and III) into which stars can be approximately divided on the basis of their manner of formation
The motions of Population II objects
Community
Similarity or identity
A community of interests.
Population
All of the people inhabiting a specified area.
Community
Sharing, participation, and fellowship
A sense of community.
Population
The total number of such people.
Community
Society as a whole; the public.
Population
The total number of inhabitants constituting a particular race, class, or group in a specified area.
Community
A group of organisms interacting with one another and with the environment in a specific region.
Population
The act or process of furnishing with inhabitants.
Community
The region occupied by a group of interacting organisms.
Population
(Ecology) All the organisms of a given species interacting in a specified area.
Community
(countable) A group sharing a common understanding, and often the same language, law, manners, and/or tradition.
Population
(Statistics) The set of individuals, items, or data from which a statistical sample is taken. Also called universe.
Community
(countable) A residential or religious collective; a commune.
Population
The people living within a political or geographical boundary.
The population of New Jersey will not stand for this!
Community
A group of interdependent organisms inhabiting the same region and interacting with each other.
Population
(by extension) The people with a given characteristic.
India has the third-largest population of English-speakers in the world.
Community
A group of people interacting by electronic means for educational, professional, social, or other purposes; a virtual community.
Population
A count of the number of residents within a political or geographical boundary such as a town, a nation or the world.
The town’s population is only 243.
Population explosion;
Population growth
Community
(uncountable) The condition of having certain attitudes and interests in common.
Population
(biology) A collection of organisms of a particular species, sharing a particular characteristic of interest, most often that of living in a given area.
A seasonal migration annually changes the populations in two or more biotopes drastically, many twice in opposite senses.
Community
Common enjoyment or possession; participation.
A community of goods
Population
(statistics) A group of units (persons, objects, or other items) enumerated in a census or from which a sample is drawn.
Community
Common character; likeness.
Population
(computing) The act of filling initially empty items in a collection.
John clicked the Search button and waited for the population of the list to complete.
Community
Commonness; frequency.
Population
The act or process of populating; multiplication of inhabitants.
Community
A local area within a county or county borough which is the lowest tier of local government, usually represented by a community council or town council, which is generally equivalent to a civil parish in England.
Population
The whole number of people, or inhabitants, in a country, or portion of a country; as, a population of ten millions.
Community
Common possession or enjoyment; participation; as, a community of goods.
The original community of all things.
An unreserved community of thought and feeling.
Population
The people who inhabit a territory or state;
The population seemed to be well fed and clothed
Community
A body of people having common rights, privileges, or interests, or living in the same place under the same laws and regulations; as, a community of monks. Hence a number of animals living in a common home or with some apparent association of interests.
Creatures that in communities exist.
Population
A group of organisms of the same species populating a given area;
They hired hunters to keep down the deer population
Community
Society at large; a commonwealth or state; a body politic; the public, or people in general.
Burdens upon the poorer classes of the community.
Population
(statistics) the entire aggregation of items from which samples can be drawn;
It is an estimate of the mean of the population
Community
Common character; likeness.
The essential community of nature between organic growth and inorganic growth.
Population
The number of inhabitants (either the total number or the number of a particular race or class) in a given place (country or city etc.);
People come and go, but the population of this town has remained approximately constant for the past decade
The African-American population of Salt Lake City has been increasing
Community
Commonness; frequency.
Eyes . . . sick and blunted with community.
Population
The act of populating (causing to live in a place);
He deplored the population of colonies with convicted criminals
Community
A group of people living in a particular local area;
The team is drawn from all parts of the community
Population
A collection of individuals from which samples are drawn for statistical analysis.
The study's population included adults aged 30 to 50.
Community
A group of people having ethnic or cultural or religious characteristics in common;
The Christian community of the apostolic age
He was well known throughout the Catholic community
Community
Common ownership;
They shared a community of possessions
Community
A group of nations having common interests;
They hoped to join the NATO community
Community
The body of people in a learned occupation;
The news spread rapidly through the medical community
Community
Agreement as to goals;
The preachers and the bootleggers found they had a community of interests
Community
A district where people live; occupied primarily by private residences
Community
(ecology) a group of interdependent organisms inhabiting the same region and interacting with each other
Community
A group of nations or states unified by common interests.
The European Community was a precursor to the European Union.
Common Curiosities
What defines a population?
A population is defined as a group of individuals of the same species living in a specific geographic area.
Can a population exist without a community?
No, populations are part of communities, which comprise multiple interacting populations.
Is community a broader concept than population?
Yes, community is broader as it involves various species and their interactions, unlike population which focuses on a single species.
How do population and community relate to ecology?
Population ecology studies the dynamics of a single species, while community ecology studies interactions between different species.
How does population growth affect a community?
Population growth can affect community dynamics, such as resource availability and species interactions.
Are communities always harmonious?
No, communities can have competitive, predatory, or parasitic interactions among different species.
What defines a community?
A community is defined as a group of different species living and interacting in a particular area.
Can humans be considered a population?
Yes, humans can be considered a population when referring to all individuals of the species or a specific demographic group.
Does 'community' have a social aspect?
Yes, it can refer to human communities based on shared location, interests, or characteristics.
Is community only about living organisms?
Primarily, yes, but it can also refer to human communities defined by shared characteristics or interests.
Are population studies important for conservation?
Yes, understanding population dynamics is crucial for conservation efforts of specific species.
Can a community change over time?
Yes, communities can change due to factors like environmental changes, species migration, or human impact.
Can the term 'population' refer to animals?
Yes, it can refer to any group of organisms of the same species, including animals.
How is population density different from population?
Population density refers to the number of individuals per unit area, while population is the total number of individuals.
Is biodiversity related to community?
Yes, biodiversity is a key aspect of communities, referring to the variety of species present.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
