Chapter 5 Flashcards
What is a population
a group of organisms of the same species occupying a place at the same time
What are the three characteristics of a population
desity
age structure
sex ratio
What is a unitary population
Distinct individuals that develop in a determinate pathway, usually animals
What is a modular population
Lots of small units making a whole, usually plants
Which kind of population is difficult to count
Modular
What do populations consist of
Individuals with certain genes
What are populations a sum of (gene pool)
All the genetic material in a pop’n
What is a metapopulation
A population separated spatially (local pop’n)
How do metapopulations interact internally
Through dispersal
What is density
Size of a pop’n per unit of space
What is crude density
per unit area
What is ecological density
per unit living area
What density is most commonly used
Crude density
What happens to density as body size increases
Decreases
What happens to density as trophic level increases
Decreases
What affects density
Food supply, weather…
How are organisms distributed
Spatially or temporal
What kinds of dispersal are spacial
Random, uniform, and clumped
What is random distribution
Positions of organisms are independent if others, no interaction btw organisms, rare distribution
What is uniform distribution
Even position, territorial
What is clumped distribution
Most common, things in groups competing for resources
What affects distribution in animals
Social factors like courtship, herds, or societies
What is temporal distribution
Distribution over times
What is emigration
Leaving a pop’n
