Population Biology Flashcards
Population
A group of individuals / organisms of the same species occupying a particular space at a particular time
Distribution
Size, shape and location of the area a population occupies
Density
Number of individuals per unit area
Abundance
Total number of individuals, or biomass, of a species in a particular area
What are the basic components of population biology
- Abundance
- Rate of increase
- Population structure
What are some ways in which population structure can be analyzed?
- Molecular techniques
- Biochemical markers
- Studies of animal movement
- Telemetry
- Photo ID
What are the basic principles of population biology? (How is population calculated)
N = Population size
B = Number of births
D = Number of deaths
I = Number of immigrants
E = Number of emigrants
ΔN = (B-D) + (I-E)
What is photo ID?
Use of natural markings, pigmentation patterns, shape of fins and flukes to identify individuals
Ex: Humpback Whale flukes have unique patterns that are specific to the individual whale
Why is Photo ID so important for marine mammals?
- Unlike other organisms, banding is not possible for marine mammals
- Photo ID’s are utilized to make estimates on population size
- Catalogs / maps utilize photo ID to display migration patterns and breeding locations of marine mammals
What is utilized to identify North Atlantic Right Whales?
- Callosities: irregular patches of thickened tough skin
- Remain fairly stable over time
What is utilized to identify Bottlenose Dolphins?
Dorsal fins
How are population dynamics studies?
- True census
- Sampling estimates
- Indicies
- Mark-recapture studies
Describe line transect studies
- Count individuals along track-line
- Incorporates distance and bearing into your estimate
- Can be large or small scale
What are some things that you should have standardized when conducting a survey?
- Speed (not too slow or too fast): determines how many individuals you will be likely to see
- Height off the water: determines how far you can see
- Number of observers
- Survey method: bigeyes vs. binoculars
What are some important things to condsider when conducting a line-transect study?
- Track lines are placed randomly with respect to the local distribution of animals
why - Object on track lines are detected at the initial location prior to the response to the observer