25: Population Growth Flashcards
What is the miracle on the Hudson case?
in 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 floats in the Hudson River after collisions with geese incapacitated both of its engines
Why were the geese there?
most are supposed to migrate south, but more and more geese are seen staying North so the chances of airplane colliding with some of these birds is becoming higher
What is happening with the locusts in Kenya?
in 2020, there were swarms of locusts, locusts don’t swarm all the time, they behave individually
- something usually triggers the swarming behavior
Why is the swarming in Kenya a problem?
swarming can destroy a crop in just a few hours and leave a village without food
What questions does population ecology answer?
- how do populations change in size, density, and composition?
- how can we conserve populations?
Is a population more or less complex than a community?
it is less complex
What is a population?
group of organisms of the same species that live in the same area and interbreed
What are the major characteristics of a population?
- size and density (individuals per unit of area)
- population growth
- distribution
- size (number of individuals)
- age structure
- dispersion patterns
- demography
What is exponential growth?
growth at a constant rate of increase per unit of time
- characterized by a J-curve
Where is exponential growth seen?
when a population colonizes an unoccupied environment
What is biotic potential?
maximum rate a population can increase when there are no limits on its growth
Which population would have a higher biotic potential: cockroaches or elephants?
cockroaches, they reproduce earlier in life and reproduce many times and produce more offspring
What is the human population?
today: 8 billion people worldwide
