What is the definition of a population?

• A. A group of organisms of the same species populating a given area at a given time
• B. A collection of multiple species in one area
• C. The total biomass of a community
• D. The diversity of species in an ecosystem

Answer: (B)

A population is the group of individuals of the same species living in a specific area at a particular time. This definition focuses on one species and counts how many individuals exist, how densely they are packed in the area, and how their numbers change over time due to births, deaths, arrivals, and departures. The idea contrasts with a community, which is made up of many species in the same area, and with measures like total biomass or diversity, which describe the combined mass or the variety of species rather than the size of a single species population.