Population growth and carrying capacity vocab Flashcards
density
The number of individuals within a specific area
dispersion
How individuals are spread throughout their habitat
Clumped dispersion
When many individuals are packed closely together into groups, such as a school of fish when avoiding a predator
Uniform dispersion
when individuals are spaced evenly from one another, such as gannet nests in a breeding colony.
Random dispersion
When individuals have an unpredictable distribution throughout their habitat.
immigration
when individuals move into a population from elsewhere
emigration
when individuals leave a population
Exponential growth
Growth that typically occurs under optimal environmental conditions with plentiful resources.
Logistic growth
Growth that occurs as resources become scarce and competition increases.
Carrying capacity
(K) the maximum population size of a species that a particular environment can support. In natural systems, population size often fluctuates above and below this limit.
Limiting factors
Abiotic and biotic factors that control population growth.
Density-independent factors
Factors that limit growth regardless of a population’s density.
Density-dependent factors
Factors that affect growth in relation to a population’s density.
life history
Describes a species’ its lifespan, behavior, and reproductive strategy.
K-selected
In general, traits are long-lived and tend to produce fewer offspring that require increased parental care.
