Population ecology: Theory, methods, lenses

In this first of two lectures on population ecology, Dr. Bill Fagan frames the key theories and methods used in population ecology. He presents as foundational issues in population ecology the relationships among individuals in a population and the dynamics that impact growth or decline within a population. He notes that population dynamics can be characterized by the null hypothesis of exponential population growth, and any other dynamics can be explained by the impact of factors like cooperation, competition, inter-species interactions and resource limitations. He highlights the concepts used to characterize these factors, including discrete time models, the Allee effect, positive and negative density dependence, and carrying capacity. He concludes by noting the data challenges associated with modeling density dependence in a population, and also notes that population dynamics and the factors that influence those dynamics will change over space and time for a given population.
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