Population + Community Ecology Flashcards
What is population dynamics?
change in pop size + density over time as a result of individuals’ action
What is a life history?
- age of first reproduction
- age of death
- # of offspring
- # of life history events
What is allocation?
investing energy into one life aspect (growth, reproduction etc)
What is the term for when r (rate of increase) is constant and maximum?
Exponential growth
What does carrying capacity (k) mean?
The maximum number of individuals the habitat can support
What does logistic growth describe?
The proportion of k still available for growth
What factors affect k?
- limited available space
- increased predation
- increased disease
- decreased food availability
- change in population movement (immigration/emigration)
What is competition?
interaction btwn. organisms sharing same limited resources
Define the competitive exclusion principle
Two species competing over the same limited resource cannot coexist if they share identical niches
What is a niche?
- ecological role species plays in community
- sum of organism’s use of biotic and abiotic resources
