Population Dynamics
Density-Independent
Factors affecting populations regardless of density—typically environmental events like floods, fires, droughts, or extreme temperatures that kill a proportion of the population independent of how many individuals exist.
Biological Context
A forest fire kills a similar proportion of a squirrel population whether there are 100 or 10,000 squirrels. Density-independent factors cause fluctuations but don't regulate populations toward equilibrium. They often cause population crashes followed by recovery during favorable periods.