Population Dispersion

Patterns of spacing among individuals within the boundaries of a population.

Most Common

Clumped Dispersion

Individuals aggregate in patches rather than being spaced out.

This pattern is often influenced by resource availability (e.g., food, soil nutrients) and behavior. Organisms cluster where factors are optimal or to satisfy reproductive and defensive needs.

Example: Sea stars grouping on a reef where food is abundant, or wolves hunting in a pack.
Evenly Spaced

Uniform Dispersion

Individuals are evenly spaced relative to one another.

This pattern is typically the result of direct social interactions, such as territoriality—the defense of a bounded physical space against encroachment by other individuals.

Example: Nesting penguins or albatrosses that maintain a specific pecking distance from their neighbors.
Unpredictable

Random Dispersion

The position of each individual is independent of others.

This occurs in the absence of strong attractions or repulsions among individuals, or where key physical or chemical factors are relatively constant across the area.

Example: Dandelions growing from windblown seeds that land unpredictably in a field.