Destroy populate target

[Crovaxian]

Can you nullify a populate effect by killing the token being targeted for the populate?  For example, player 1 plays rootborn defenses and targets their angel token, in response, player 2 doom blades said token.  Will populate resolve with a new token even though the target does not exist when the populate spell resolves?

[whitedrake]

Populate does not target....

[Keyeto]

Populate does not target....

Exactly. As long as there's a creature token on the field when the populate spell resolves, a token can be made.