Exam 6 study questions 3 Flashcards
Altruism
behavior that has a fitness cost to the individual exhibiting it and a fitness benefit to the recipient. Altruism decreases an individual’s ability to produce offspring but helps others produce more offspring
What is population ecology
The study of how and why the number of individuals in a population changes over times
What are the factors related to distribution and abundance
Range Spatial Pattern Size (N) Density Demography (change in N through time)
What is the mark recapture population estimation equation
m2/n2=m1/N
What is a metapopulation
A population of populations connected by migration
What is demography
Study of factors that determine the size and structure of populations through time
What are the two main approaches to studying populations
population growth equations and life tables
population growth equations
use simple/general equations to predict population dynamics over longer-term
life tables
use detailed info about current state of the population to predict near-term future of the population. Useful for populations with age or stage structure
What determines population size
Births, immigration, mortality and emigration
Population size = B + I – M – E
Imagine that a few individuals live in an ideal, unlimited environment. What kind of curve would you see here
J-shaped; humans have J shaped curve as well
what is r
r = growth rate R = birth rate – death rate r>0 = population growing r<0 = population declining
what is rmax
Intrinsic rate of increase of maximum growth rate for a population. Each species has an rmax that does not change
rmax equation
change in N/change in t = rmax(N)
True or false: exponential growth assumes unlimited resources while logistic growth does not assume unlimited resources. Having unlimited resources is never the case in the real world
true
