Question

Differentiate crude (population) density from ecological (population) density. Taking into consideration these definitions, suppose you were given the task of estimating the density of two plant species in the field. Based on the life histories of the two species, you expect that the spatial distribution of one os the species is approximately uniform, whereas the other is likely to be clumped. How might your approach to estimating the density of these two species differ?

Answer 1

Crude (population) density involves the expression of the density with reference to total areas at a particular time and ecological (population) density involves the expression of the density with reference to total areas of habitat available to the species.

Uniform patterns are generally a result of interactions like competition whereas clumped patterns usually occur when resources are concentrated in small areas within a large habitat. We will approach crude population density as both the species express spatial distribution with reference to their areas, not in the whole habitat.