36.1-36.4

Question 1

Define population ecology (36.1).

Answer 1

The study of a population and how and why it fluctuates over time.

Question 2

Define population dynamics (36.1)

Answer 2

Changes in population due to abiotic and biotic factors.

Question 3

How is population ecology used in the real world? (36.1)

Answer 3

(1) Managing wildlife populations, (2) develop sustainable fisheries, (3) help prevent the spread of pathogens and other pests, (4) help endangered species.

Question 4

What relates to population ecology and is one of the most crucial issue of our time? (36.1)

Answer 4

Human population growth.

Question 5

What is the relationship between a population and a species? (36.1)

Answer 5

A population is a localized group of individuals of a single species.

Question 6

What is population density? (36.2)

Answer 6

Population density is the amount of a certain species living in a certain amount of land.

Question 7

What are the difficulties of measuring population density? (36.2)

Answer 7

(1) difficult and tedious to count everything within a large section of land, (2) most often you will miss something

Question 8

What are some strategies used to measure population density? (36.2)

Answer 8

(1) Using a small sample size and applying it to every similar sized tract of land within biome is effective. The larger the tract, the more accurate the estimate, (2) using indicators, instead of actual animals, to count for species. Ex. Counting a bird’s nest instead of the actual birds. (3) Capture and Recapture (4) Point Quarter Method

Question 9

What is a dispersion pattern? (36.2)

Answer 9

How certain species are organized within their biome.

Question 10

What is the “clumped dispersion pattern”? (36.2)

Answer 10

The most common of them all; this pattern is where species are found it very similar areas spread apart.

Question 11

What creates a “clumped dispersion pattern”? (36.2)

Answer 11

An unequal distribution of resources.

Question 12

What is the “uniform dispersion pattern”? (36.2)

Answer 12

It’s in the name. Not very commonly occuring.

Question 13

What and why are “uniform dispersion patterns” created? (36.2)

Answer 13

When there is equally distributed resources, they can be found much more easily. It also can be a territorial/competition adaptation for certain animals.

Question 14

What is the “random dispersion pattern”? (36.2)

Answer 14

it’s in the name: an example is dandelions, who let the wind plant them.

Question 15

What dispersion pattern would you predict in a forest population of termites, which live in damp, rotting wood? (36.2)

Answer 15

Clumped dispersion pattern in fallen logs or dead trees.

Question 16

What is a life table? (36.3)

Answer 16

the age of a species and the percentage chance that they have to live until then. This concept is called “survivorship”

Question 17

What is a survivorship curve? (36.3)

Answer 17

Percentage of life finished on x-axis (as opposed to actual ages) vs. percentage chance to survive on y. Using this technique means we can comapre species with very different life spans.

Question 18

What is a type one (Type I) survivorship curve, and what species are found there? (36.3)

Answer 18

It is the one often seen with humans and other large animals: a higher chance of living longer. These species often nurse their children and have high reproductive success with a relatively low amount of offspring.

Question 19

What is a type three (Type III) survivorship curve, and what species are found there? (36.3)

Answer 19

A species where very few animals make it to old age. Most species here are fish, and invertebrates such as oysters. These animals produce massive amounts of offspring to a very low reproductive success.

Question 20

What is a type two (Type II) survivorship curve, and what species are found there? (36.3)

Answer 20

The intermediary between I and III, sizeable amount of offspring, sizeable chance of living. Squirrels, for example.

Question 21

What, beside birth and death, influence population fluctuation? (36.4)

Answer 21

immigration and emigration

Question 22

When can the exponential growth model be used to model population growth? (36.4)

Answer 22

Under ideal conditions, unlimited space and resources.

Question 23

What is the equation for exponential growth within populations? (36.4)

Answer 23

G=rN

Question 24

What do the variables stand for in the exponential growth equation? (36.4)

Answer 24

G(rowth rate of the population- the number of new individuals added per time interval)=r(per capita rate of increase - the average contribution of each person to population growth)N(population size)

Question 25

How is population growth calculated, in a single year? (36.4)

Answer 25

The number of births - number of deaths, assuming all other factors are constant

Question 26

How is the per capita rate of increase estimated? (36.4)

Answer 26

By taking the population growth, (Ex. 50 births, 20 deaths=30 growth) and dividing it by the entire population itself (ex. pop=100, 30/100= 0.3). In an ideal space, this is the maximum capacity to be able to reproduce.

Question 27

Can the “r” rate be different? (36.4)

Answer 27

Yes, squirrels can reproduce more than elephants.

Question 28

What is the logistic growth model used for? (36.4)

Answer 28

Because there is never an idealized environment, the logistic model takes into account that there are limits to population growth. Ex. hunting.

Question 29

What is the equation used to calculated for logistic growth in population ecology? (36.4)

Answer 29

G=rN((K-N/K))

Question 30

The only new variable in the logistic function is “K.” What does “K” stand for? (36.4)

Answer 30

K is the maximum carrying capacity.

Question 31

What is carrying capacity? (36.4)

Answer 31

The maximum population of a certain species that an environment can hold.

Question 32

What are some important factors to consider what viewing the variable “K”? (36.4)

Answer 32

“K” is constantly changing. When resources become more or less abundant, it will fluctuate. Overall, K represents the concept that resources are always finite.

Question 33

What do logistic functions say about population growth when the population is large or small? (36.4)

Answer 33

It will be very slow. Slow at the beginning because it is a small amount of organisms, and small near the limit because the resources are limited.

Question 34

In logistic growth, at what population size (in terms of K) is the population increasing the most rapidly?

Answer 34

When N is a half of K. At this population size, there are more reproducing individuals than at lower population levels but still abundant resources.