Minkoff Ch. 6 Vocab

Question 1

population ecology

Answer 1

the study of the biological factors that affect the sizes of population

Question 2

demography

Answer 2

the study of human populations in numerical terms

Question 3

population

Answer 3

1. a subset of the species to which the population belongs
2. consists of individuals who are in close enough geographical proximity that their structural and behavioral potential to interbreed is actualized in mating that keeps genes flowing throughout the group over successive generations

Question 4

growth rate

Answer 4

the rate of change of population size; symbolized as r

Question 5

exponential growth

Answer 5

geometric growth

Question 6

doubling time

Answer 6

the length of time it will take for the population to double

Question 7

logistic growth

Answer 7

growth that begins exponentially but then levels off to a stable population size

Question 8

carrying capacity

Answer 8

the maximum population size that can persist in a given environment

Question 9

demographic transition

Answer 9

an orderly series of changes in population structure

Question 10

death control

Answer 10

any measure that reduces the death rate

Question 11

age pyramid

Answer 11

a diagram that represents the age distribution of a population

Question 12

demographic momentum

Answer 12

a temporary population increase