Population Ecology Flashcards
questions asked about…
size of the population
must define…
boundaries
must find density…
(number of organisms of a species per unit area ) of population
methods to find density
counting individuals
estimate by counting a small area and extrapolating
nests, scat, tracks, mark & recapture
dispersal
patterns of inhabitants within boundaries (3 types)
clumped
uniform
random
clumped dispersal
dispersal around a resource
most common dispersal pattern
ex. starfish surrounding prey (blue mussel)
uniform dispersal
standardized distance between individuals typically from territory defense
uncommon dispersal pattern
ex. penguin nesting
random dispersal
self explanatory–dispersal is random
common dispersal pattern
ex. dandelion
demography
basic vital statistics that describe the population
life table
describes a cohort
cohort
describes an age range
survivorship curve
3 types
I, II, III
type I curve
high parental investment
most individuals survive until old age
ex. human
type II curve
small parental investment
as likely to die at any age
ex. squirrel
type III curve
no parental investment
unlikely to survive to critical period, but if you do survive you will likely live to 100% of max life span
ex. oyster
