Lab 3

Question 1

Population biology and population _____ have similiar meanings

Answer 1

ecology

Question 2

Population biology or population ecology

Answer 2

Population biology or population ecology is the study of the way in which populations grow.

Question 3

When does a population grow?

Answer 3

Populations grow when the number of individuals added to the population is greater than the number of individuals that are lost from the population.

populations shrink when net gains are less than net losses.

Question 4

Additions to a population come from _____ and _____

Answer 4

Additions to a population come from births and immigration.

Question 5

Losses from a population come from _____ and ______.

Answer 5

deaths and emigration

Question 6

We assume that under constant conditions, immigration and emigration are relatively _____.

Answer 6

equal

Question 7

Studying species that lack overlap of generations makes the development of population growth models ____

Answer 7

simpler

Question 8

Cohort

Answer 8

all members of the population are the same age

Question 9

Biotic potential

Answer 9

The characteristic of all populations to produce more individuals than are required to replace those already existing. Biotic potential defines the maximum rate at which a population will grow if conditions are ideal.

Question 10

In populations that reproduce sexually, the four factors in female life history determine the biotic potential of a species are -

Answer 10

1. The length of time a female reproduces
2. Female age specific survivourship
3. Female births per female per reproduction.
4. Delay of reproduction; the time between birth and production of the average number of female offspring (the generation time T)

Question 11

Exponential growth

Answer 11

The type of growth in which the rate of growth is constant and the amount of increase is proportional to the population size is termed Exponential Growth.

Question 12

As the size of the population increases, what might become the limiting factors?

Answer 12

intraspecific compition for food, suitable habitat etc, crowding, disease etc act to slow the population growth.

Question 13

Carrying capacity (K)

Answer 13

the static situation in which the number of individuals in the population is the maximum number that a given area or volume of the environment can support.

The growth curve for such a population is called a logistic or sigmoid growth curve.