Populations & Sustainability Flashcards
Describe and explain the phases of a population growth curve
Slow growth (lag)
- Small numbers of individuals initially present
- Reproduction increases total population
- Birth rate > death rate
Rapid growth (log)
- Number of breeding individuals increase
- Total population multiplies exponentially
- No limiting factors present
- Birth rate > death rate
Stable state (stationary)
- Limiting factors prevent further population growth
- Population fluctuates
- Overall size stays relatively stable
- Birth rate ≈ death rate
Define carrying capacity
Maximum population size an environment can support
Give examples of abiotic factors that limit population size
- Temperature
- Light
- Water or oxygen availability
Give examples of biotic factors that limit population size
- Predators
- Disease
- Competition
Define immigration
- Movement of individual organisms into a particular area
- Causes population to increase
Define emigration
- Movement of individual organisms away from a particular area
- Causes population to decrease
State the factors that would cause an increase in population size
- Increase in quantity or quality of food supply
- Availability of clean water
- Lack of predators
- Favourable environmental conditions
- Availability of light
Define density independent factor
- Factor that has effect on population regardless of its size
- e.g. fire, volcano, storm
- Can remove entire species from an area
Define density dependent factor
- Effect of factor dependent on population size
- e.g. more predators in area = more prey killed
Define interspecific competition
Competition between different species
Define intraspecific competition
Competition between members of same species
When does competition arise?
- When resources are not present in adequate amounts
- To satisfy needs of all individuals who depend on them
Describe what happens to birth and death rates as competition increases
- Rate of reproduction decreases
- Fewer organisms have enough resources to reproduce
- Death rate increases
- Fewer organisms have enough resources to survive
Outline the possible effects of interspecific competition
- Species seeking to occupy similar niche
- Reduction in resources available to competing populations
- If species are equally adapted:
- Reproduction rate decreases in all species
- Population sizes decrease
- If one species better adapted:
- Less well adapted species outcompeted
- Numbers decline
- Potentially to extinction
Define competitive exclusion principle
- Two species compete for same resource
- One that uses resource more effectively will eliminate the other
Describe the cycle of population size changes that occur following intraspecific competition
- Initially resources plentiful
- Population increases
- Birth rate > death rate
- Resources become limited as more organisms compete for resource
- Population decreases
- Birth rate < death rate
- Reduced population results in less competition so more organisms survive and reproduce
- Population increases
- Birth rate > death rate
Define predation
When predator kills and eats prey
What type of competition is predation?
Interspecific