17. Population ecology: the fundamentals of population growth

Question 1

Population Size

Answer 1

N

Question 2

Population density

Answer 2

N/area

Question 3

Malthus published An Essay on the Principle of Population

Answer 3

arguing that the human population cannot grow faster than food production

Question 4

Paul Ehrlich published The Population Bomb

Answer 4

arguing that explosive growth in the human population would have catastrophic social and environmental consequences

Question 5

Population growth charts plot…

Answer 5

N against time, t

Question 6

differential equations/ continuous-time approach

Answer 6

best suited for species with continuous reproduction (time steps are infinitesimally small)

Question 7

difference equations/ discrete-time approach

Answer 7

best suited for episodic reproduction (time steps are discrete units (days, years, etc.))

Question 8

N t + 1 =

Answer 8

N t – D + B – E + I

Question 9

Population model

Answer 9

Nt + 1 = f ( Nt )

Question 10

λ (Greek lambda)

Answer 10

multiplicative factor by which population changes over one time unit = “finite rate of increase”

Question 11

Geometric growth model

Answer 11

λ = N t + 1 / N t

Question 12

If λ > 1

Answer 12

births exceed deaths and population grows

Question 13

If λ < 1

Answer 13

deaths exceed births and population shrinks