Unit 3 Flashcards
What is a niche?
A niche is the role that on organism plays in its community and the conditions it can live in.
What are the two words that describes a species’s role in its ecosystem?
Specialist Species: Narrow Niche
Generalist Species: Broad niche
What is a specialist with a narrow range of toelrance?
Indicator species: An organisms with a low range of tolerance that indicates the health of an ecosystem
What is the difference between K and r selected species?
K-selected: K stands for carrying capacity, because these organisms are close to their carrying capacity. These organisms like humans, whales, and elephants put a lot of energy into their young and take a lot of effort for a few young offsprings
r-selection: r stands for reprodutive rate. These organisms have a lot of low-energy costing offspring and do not hae much parental care. They are usually small prey.
The limiting factor for K selected species is carrying capacity and an r selected species is limited by growth rate.
What are demographics?
Demographics are information or the characteristics of a population
How do population pyramids change with country development?
When they are less developed, it looks like a pyramid. When they are developed, it looks like a vertical tower.
What are the four stages of demographic change?
- Preindustrial: Lots of children, poor medical care, and incentive to use children for labor. High death rate and high fertility rate.
- Industrializing/Developing: Modernizations lead to cleaner water, better medical care, steady food supply. Death rate falls, but fertility rate is still high
- Industrial: Modernized society and economy. fertility rate is decreasing because women have more economic opporunities, and access to family planning increases.
- Post-Industrial: The definition of post-industrial society is one that has transitioned from an economy of goods to an economy of services. Birth and death rates are low.
