Population Size Flashcards
What is population size determined by?
The balance between reproduction and mortality
What are K-Strategists?
Species whose population size increases slowly until it reaches the carrying capacity then levels off
What happens when a new species moves into a habitat?
The population size tends to increase in a characteristic way until it reaches the carrying capacity
Why does this happen in K-Strategists?
Because as the population gets close to its carrying capacity so the
What do K-Strategists tend to be?
-Large
-Long-Life Span
-Reproductive Slowly
-Have a Late Productive Age
What are R-Strategists?
Population Size increases rapidly above carrying capacity but then decreases rapidly (boom and bust)
Why does this happen in R-Strategists?
Because once the population has exceeded the carrying capacity they will have used up all of the resources and produced a toxic amount of waste products
What do R-strategists tend to be?
-Small
-Reproduce rapidly
-Have a young reproductive age
What are R-Strategists able to do?
Colonise new habitats more quickly than K-Strategists
What do R-Strategists need in order to survive?
Need to move to a new habitat as soon as resources becoming limiting
What is a limiting factor?
Any factor that can stop a population from increasing (abiotic and biotic)
Can limiting factors affect a population? And how?
Yes regardless of size
(temperature) while some only affect a population once its close to carrying capacity (food)
