Concepts 14.1-14.3 (Ecology)

Question 1

What is an ecological population?

Answer 1

A group of individuals of the species living in the same location, with the individuals relying on the same resources and influenced by similar environmental conditions

Question 2

What are the 4 main properties of a population?

Answer 2

• Boundary (natural, arbitrary)
• Size (births, deaths, immigration, emigration)
• Distribution (uniform, clumped, random)
• Structure (sex ratio, age structure)

Question 3

How can a population that relies on the same resources be reduced?

Answer 3

• Increase deaths
• Decrease births
• Decrease immigration
• Increase emigration

Question 4

What is a full census?

Answer 4

Counting every individual

Question 5

What is estimate sampling?

Answer 5

Counting individuals within plots, estimating density, then extrapolating

Question 6

How do you calculate abundance?

Answer 6

N = n/P
where:
N = abundance
n = number seen
P = probability of detection

Question 7

How does mark recapture work?

Answer 7

1. Mark and release first sample
2. In second sample count how many have been caught in first sample
3. Calc abundance

Question 8

What is demography?

Answer 8

The study of the birth and death rates of populations and how they change over time

Question 9

What is a type 1 survivorship curve?

Answer 9

Most individuals die late

Question 10

What is a type 2 survivorship curve?

Answer 10

Uniform rate in decline (linear)

Question 11

What is a type 3 survivorship curve?

Answer 11

Huge decline in young

Question 12

What are the two factors that influence the precision when estimating abundance via plot sampling?

Answer 12

• Number of plots
• Variation in counts between plots

Question 13

What are the assumptions of a mark recapture study?

Answer 13

• Marks are durable for length of the study
• Marks don’t decrease survival
• Probability of recapture remains consistent
• Closed population (no births, death, immigration or emigration)