The important characteristics of a population are as follows :
(i) A population has birth rates and death rates. In a population these rates refer to per capita births and deaths, respectively. The rates, hence, expressed is change in numbers (increase or decrease) with respect to members of the population.
(ii) Another attribute characteristic of a population is sex ratio. An individual is either a male or a female but a population has sex ratio. A population at any given time is composed of individuals of different ages. If the age distribution (per capita individuals of a given age or age group) is plotted for the population, the resulting structure is called an age pyramid.
(iii) The size of the population tells us a lot about its status in the habitat. The size, in nature, could be as <10 (Siberian cranes at Bharatpur wetlands in any year) or go into millions (Chlamydomonas in a pond). Population size, more technically called population density, need not necessarily be measured in numbers only. Although total number is generally the most appropriate measure of population density.