Intraspecific Competition Flashcards
What is the carrying capacity (K)
A populations upper sustainable limit
What is the ultimate effect of intraspecific competition
Decreased contribution of individuals to subsequent generations
What happens to song sparrows fecundity with increased population size
Decreases
For intraspecific competition to occur, what must be in limiting supply
The resource for which they are competing
What is reciprocity?
All the competing individuals must be the same
What’s an example of reciprocity not being present?
Bird of prey chicks, ‘insurance chick’
In what way do Arizona Spadefoot toads not show reciprocity?
They have carnivorous and herbivorous tadpoles
How do death rates differ with increasing population between density dependent and independent populations
Density independent is a straight line, density dependent is exponential
What’s the difference between exponential and logistic growth?
Logistic takes into account intraspecific competition and reaches the carrying capacity
Why does competition result in fluctuating populations
Overcompensation occurs
A small population with rapid growth rate overshoots k, the large population uses up its resources and crashes then under shoots k, cycle repeats
