Populaties

Populaties are the plural form of populatie in Dutch, referring to groups of organisms or items that constitute a population within a defined area or context. The term derives from Latin populatio, via French population, and is used across biology, ecology, demography, and statistics.

In biology and ecology, a population is the group of individuals of the same species that occupy a given area and can interbreed. Population-level attributes include size, density, geographic distribution, age structure, and genetic composition, while population dynamics describe changes over time due to births, deaths, immigration, emigration, and environmental factors. Common concepts include carrying capacity, growth rates, and subpopulations or demes within a species.

In statistics and demography, a population refers to the entire set of items or individuals under study, with samples drawn from it for analysis. The population may be subdivided into subpopulations to analyze differences in characteristics or outcomes, and to support inferential statistics and demographic planning.

In Dutch usage, populaties is used for populations in ecology, microbiology, and social sciences, while bevolkingen is more often used for human populations. The distinction reflects differences between general population groups and human demographic contexts, though the terms can overlap in certain scientific discussions. See also population (biology), population genetics, and demography.