4.) Populations fluctuate in abundance

Question 1

If variability in population goes up, what will happen?

Answer 1

extinction events occur, probability of extinction goes up.

-fluctuation causes probability of extinction to go up, pops w/more variability more likely to go extinct.

Question 2

Why is focusing on species overly optimistic?

Answer 2

populations are the unit of extinction, when the last pop fails the species goes extinct.

Question 3

What is MVP? is it valid?

Answer 3

Minimum Viable Population, and there is no absolute MVP–it is instead evaluated by probability by looking at N (pop size)

Question 4

How do populations persist?

Answer 4

-focusing on meta-populations, movement between sources (excess repro) and sinks (under repro) exists.

Question 5

what is the rescue effect

Answer 5

the movement of individuals between sub-populations of a metapopulation decreases the chance of extinction.

Question 6

What is the effect of fragmentation?

Answer 6

Disrupts rescue effect, makes populations smaller, increases risk of extinction.

Question 7

what is a metapopulation

Answer 7

subpopulations of a species that are connected by movement/exchange of indivuduals