Chapter 53- Population Ecology Flashcards
age structure
The relative number of individuals of each age in a population
carrying capacity
The maximum population size that can be supported by the available resources, symbolized as k
cohort
A group of individuals of the same age in a population
demographic transition
In a stable population, a shift from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates
demography
The study of changes overtime in the vital statistics of populations, especially birth rates and death rates
density
The number of individuals per unit area of volume
density dependent
Referring to any characteristic that varies with population density
density independent
Referring to any characteristic that is not affected by population density
dispersion
The pattern of spacing among individuals within the boundaries of a population
ecological footprint
The aggregate land and water area required by a person, city, or nation to produce all of the resources it consumes and to absorb all of the wastes it generates
emigration
The movement of individuals out of a population
exponential population growth
Growth of a population in an ideal, unlimited environment, represented by a J-shaped curve when population size is plotted over time
immigration
The influx of new individuals into a population form other areas
iteroparity
Reproduction in which adults produce offspring over many years also known as repeated reproduction
k-selection
Selection for life history traits that are sensitive to population density; also called density-dependent selection
life history
The traits that affect an organism’s schedule of reproduction and survival
life table
An age-specific summary of the survival pattern of a population
logistic population growth
Population growth that levels off as population size approaches carrying population
mark-recapture method
A sampling technique used to estimate the size of animal populations
metapopulation
A group of spatially separated populations of one species that interact through immigration and emigration
population
A group of individuals of the same species that live in the same area and interbreed, producing fertile offspring
r-section
Selection for life history traits that maximize reproductive success in uncrowded environments; also called density-independent selection
reproductive table
An age-specific summary of the reproductive rates in a population
semelparity
Reproduction in which an organism produces all of its offspring in a single event; also known as big-bang reproduction
survivorship curve
A plot of the numbers of members of a cohort that are still alive at each age; one way to represent age-specific mortality
territoriality
A behavior in which an individual defends a bounded physical space against encroachment by other individuals, usually of its own species
zero population growth (ZPG)
A period of stability in population size, when additions to the population through births and immigration are balanced by subtractions through deaths and emigration
