Editing Population size (section)

== Effective population size (''N<sub>e</sub>'') ==
The [[effective population size]] (''N<sub>e</sub>'') is defined as "the number of breeding individuals in an [[idealized population]] that would show the same amount of dispersion of [[allele frequencies]] under random [[genetic drift]] or the same amount of [[inbreeding]] as the population under consideration."  ''N<sub>e</sub>'' is usually less than ''N'' (the absolute population size) and this has important applications in [[conservation genetics]].<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Husemann M, Zachos FE, Paxton RJ, Habel JC | title = Effective population size in ecology and evolution | language = En | journal = Heredity | volume = 117 | issue = 4 | pages = 191–2 | date = October 2016 | pmid = 27553454 | pmc = 5026761 | doi = 10.1038/hdy.2016.75 }}</ref>

[[Overpopulation (biology)|Overpopulation]] may indicate any case in which the population of any species of animal may exceed the [[carrying capacity]] of its [[ecological niche]].<ref>{{cite journal | author = Population Reference Bureau PRB | title = What is overpopulation? | journal = Population Education Interchange | volume = 17 | issue = 4 | pages = 1–2 | date = December 1988 | pmid = 12281798 }}</ref>