Textbook - Chapter 11: Intraspecific Population Regulation Flashcards
Carrying capacity (K)
Number of individual organisms the resources of a given area can support, usually through the most unfavorable period of the year.
Contest competition
Competition in which a limited resource is shared only by dominant individuals; a relatively constant number of individuals survive, regardless of initial density
Density-dependent mortality
Increase in mortality (death rate) with increasing population size
Density dependent rate
An inverse relationship between population density and individual growth
Density-dependent fecundity
Decline in fecundity (birth) rate with increasing population size
Density independence
Being unaffected by population density; regulation of growth is not tied to population density
Density dependence
Regulation of population growth by mechanisms controlled by the size of the population; effect increases as population size increases
Exploitative competition
Competition by a group or groups of organisms that reduces a resource to a point that adversely affects other organisms
Home range
Area over an animal ranges throughout the year
Intraspecific competition
Competition among individuals of the same species
Interference competition
Competition in which access to a resource is limited by the presence of a competitior
Logistical model of population growth (logistic equation)
Mathematical expression for the population growth curve in which rate of increase decreases linearly as population size increases
Scramble competition
Intraspecific competition in which limited resources are shared to the point that no individual survives
Self-thinning
Progressive decline in density of plants associated with the increasing size of individuals
Territory
Area defended by an animal; varies among animal species according to social behavior, social organization and resource requirements
