31. Population Ecology

Question 1

What is population ecology?

Answer 1

The study of populations in relation to their environment

Question 2

Define dispersion

Answer 2

The pattern of spacing among individuals with the boundaries of a population

Question 3

How is the density of the population estimated? What is the process of this method?

Answer 3

Mark recapture methods - 1. capture a sample of the population randomly and mark them 2. Recaptures a random sample from the same population 3. The ratio of the marked population compared to the second marked population will give the total number of individuals

Question 4

What are the 3 basic patterns of dispersion

Answer 4

Clumped Uniform Random

Question 5

What is demography?

Answer 5

The study of the vital statistics of a population changing over time - death and birth rates eg

Question 6

Define population growth

Answer 6

The exponential model describes population growth in an indealised, unlimited environment

Question 7

What does the logistic model describe?

Answer 7

How a population grows more slowly as it nears its carrying capacity - exponential growth cannot be sustainable for long in any population

Question 8

What are life history traits

Answer 8

Traits that affect an organisms schedule of reproduction and survival make up is life history

Question 9

What are the two ends of life history diversity?

Answer 9

1. The mother produces many offspring on a one off event then dies. 2. The mother produces a few offspring many times during their life