Life 55- Population Ecology

Question 1

K-strategist

Answer 1

A species whose life history strategy allows it to persist ar or near the carrying capacity of its environment.

Question 2

Life table

Answer 2

A table showing, for a group of equal-aged individuals, the proportion still alive at different times in the future anod the number of offsprings they produce during each time interval

Question 3

Mark-recapture method

Answer 3

A method of estimating population size of mobile organisms by capturing, marking, and releasing a sample of individuals, then capturing another sample at a later time

Question 4

Instrinsic rate of increase (r)

Answer 4

The rate at which a population can grow when it’s density is low and environmental conditions are highly favourable.

Question 5

Population

Answer 5

Any group of organisms coexisting at the same time and in the same place and capable of interbreeding with one another.

Question 6

Age structure

Answer 6

The distribution of the individuals in a population across all age groups.

Question 7

Semelparous

Answer 7

Reproducing only once in a lifetime.

Question 8

Meta population

Answer 8

A population divided into sub populations, among which there are occasional exchanges of individuals.

Question 9

Survivorship

Answer 9

In life tables, a proportion of individuals in a cohort that are alive at age x. A graph of this data is a survivorship curve.

Question 10

r-strategist

Answer 10

A species whose life history strategy allows for a high instrinsic rate of population increase.

Question 11

Habitat patch

Answer 11

An area of a particular habitat surrounded by other habitat types that may be less suitable for the organism.

Question 12

Density-independent

Answer 12

Pertaining a factor with an effect on population size that acts independently of population density.

Question 13

Cohort

Answer 13

A group of similar-aged organisms

Question 14

Life history strategy

Answer 14

The way in which an organism partitions its time and energy among growth, maintenance, and reproduction.

Question 15

Logistic growth

Answer 15

Growth, especially in the size of an organism or Int the number of organisms in a population, that slows steadily as the entity approaches its maximum size.

Question 16

Dispersion

Answer 16

The distribution of individuals in space within a population.

Question 17

Demography

Answer 17

The study of population structure and of the process by which it changes.

Question 18

Exponential growth

Answer 18

Growth, especially in the number of organisms in a population, which is a geometric function of size of the growing entity: the larger the entity, the faster it grows.

Question 19

Density-dependent

Answer 19

Pertaining to a facto with an effect on population size that increases in proportion to population density.

Question 20

Iteroparous

Answer 20

Reproducing multiple times in a lifetime

Question 21

Population density

Answer 21

The number of individuals of a population per unit area or volume.

Question 22

Corridor

Answer 22

A connection between habitat patches through which organisms can disperse: plays a critical role in maintaining subpopulations.

Question 23

Fecundity

Answer 23

The average number of offsprings produced by each female.

Question 24

Population dynamics

Answer 24

The patterns and processes of change in populations.

Question 25

Rescue effect

Answer 25

The process by which individuals moving between subpopulations of a meta population may prevent declining subpopulations from becoming extinct.

Question 26

Carrying capacity

Answer 26

The number of individuals in a population that the resources of its environment can support.