Population Ecology

Question 1

Population

Answer 1

Group of individuals of a single species living in the same area

Question 2

Population Ecology

Answer 2

Study of populations in relation to their environment - density, distribution, age, structure and size.

Question 3

Why is density mostly impossible to determine

Answer 3

Complex interplay between emigration and immigration

Question 3

Population Densite

Answer 3

Number of individuals per unit of area

Question 4

Dispersion

Answer 4

Spacing of individuals in an environment

Question 5

3 types of dispersion

Answer 5

• Clumped (number in area/group related to availability of resources)
• Uniform
• Randomly dispersed

Question 6

What influences dispersion

Answer 6

Wind, pack hunting behaviour, pecking distance, nesting.

Question 7

Why does dispersion matter

Answer 7

Resources (food, space, water, mates) are limited. How your arrange yourself in space influences the resources you have available to you.

Question 8

Demography

Answer 8

Study of vital population statistics (death, reproductive rates, sex differences, life expectancy_

Question 9

Life Table

Answer 9

Age specific summary of the survival pattern of a population

Question 10

Semelparity

Answer 10

“Big bang” reproduction - reproduce once than die.

Question 11

Iteroparity

Answer 11

Repeated reproduction

Question 12

R strategy

Answer 12

Large number of offspring with little parental care, ensuring that at least some of them will grow and reproduce

Question 13

K strategy

Answer 13

Small number of offspring and lavish resources on few individual - high survival rates.

Question 14

Growth rate at a particular instant in time

Answer 14

Immigration and immigration are ignored. Growth = birth rate - death rate

Question 15

Exponential Growth

Answer 15

Population increase under idealised conditions when rate of reproduction is at its maximum

Question 16

Intrinsic rate of increase

Answer 16

Maximum rate of reproduction

Question 17

Logistic model

Answer 17

Factors in the influence carrying capacity has on population numbers and growth

Question 18

Why is exponential growth not a sustained pattern

Answer 18

Resources are limited. Carrying capacity (K) is te maximum population size the environment can support. Once K is reached, the rate of reproduction decreases.

Question 19

What influences carrying capacity

Answer 19

Drought, unfavourable weather conditions, food availability, space, disease, introduction of species, climate change

Question 20

When does a population have highest growth rates

Answer 20

Half carrying capacity

Question 21

Logistic growth R value

Answer 21

Positive r number = more births than deaths and population will grow
Negative r number = more deaths than births and population will fall

Question 22

Why is logistic equation important in real life

Answer 22

Fishing company trying to maximise stocks
Rat Free NZ - if your killing some but not all, the population growth will increase significantly

Question 23

Density-dependent selection

Answer 23

selects for life history traits thast are sensitive to population density. (K = carrying capacity)

Question 24

Density independent selection

Answer 24

goal of maximising reproduction. (r -independent of carrying capacity)

Question 25

Competition & Density Dependence

Answer 25

In crowded populations, increasing population density intensifies intraspecific competition for resources

Question 26

Boom and bust cycles

Answer 26

Population of one species is closely tied to another