Unit 3 Flashcards
- How do natural populations grow? What is exponential growth? How do we mathematically describe exponential growth? What is r? What is doubling time?
Geometrically, or following the discrete model for exponential growth dN/dt = rN r = intrinsic rate of growth doubling time (t) = the amount of time in which a population doubles = 0.693/r
Compare and contrast exponential and geometric growth (the discrete model of exponential growth)? What is lambda? How do the two models compare? How do lambda and r compare?
With exponential growth, populations grow continuously. With geometric growth, growth occurs over a discrete interval
Lambda = The ratio of population size in one year to that of preceding year (or other time interval)
They are identical except that lambda takes the place of er
Direct correspondence between r & lambda, except r is an instantaneous rate of increase and lambda is a finite rate of increase.
- What is logistic growth? What is density dependence? What is carrying capacity? What is the mathematical representation of logistic growth? Compare and contrast logistic growth with exponential growth. Where is the inflection point for the logistic growth curve? Where on the curve would you find the maximum sustainable yield (MSY)?
Logistic growth = Modified exponential growth equation to describe the effect of population density
density dependence = Any factor that becomes more significant in highly dense populations
Carrying capacity = maximum size of a population that a habitat can sustain
log vs exponential = The log equation dN/dt = rN [1- (N/K)] is identical to exponential growth, except that it includes the influence of a carrying capacity
inflection point = K/2
Where MSY = At half of the carrying capacity
- What factors influence intrinsic rates of increase (r or lambda)? What factors bring population growth under control? Compare and contrast density dependent and independent factors. What are Allee effects?
Death and birth rates
Density dependent factors: resource availability, spread of disease, predation
Dependent vs independent = The magnitude of the effect changes dependent of density or not
Allee effects have a positive relationship between density and growth
What is demography? What is a life table? What is the use of a life table? Compare and contrast age (cohort) and time specific (static) life tables. What is cohort analysis?
Demography - the study of growth, survival, and age structure in natural populations.
Life table use - Tool for characterizing a species’ by estimating the likelihood of mortality and reproduction change with age
cohort (age specific) vs static (time specific) life tables - cohort analysis follows one gen through life. Static takes a sample of the pop at a given point in time
What are the basic life table variables? How are they computed?
lx = nx/n0 = proportion of individuals surviving to this age bx = age specific fecundity = cannot be computed sx = rate of survival = 1- mx mx = mortality rate =[ nx- (nx+1)] / nx or dx/nx ex = age-specific life expectancy = sum of lx + future generations all over lx Ro = Net repro rate = sum of lxbx T = avg generation time = sumXlxbx / Ro
Can we approximate the exponential growth rate (r) from a life table? If so, how?
Yes, ra = lnRo / T
What is a growth pyramid for a population? What would the pyramid for an expansive population look like? A stationary? A constrictive?
A graphic representation of the age distribution of a species with the oldest individuals at the top
expansive - more abundant younger generations
stationary - even distribution among ages
constrictive - more abundant older generations
What is a survivorship curve? How do we generate these curves? What are the three general types of curves? What are some examples of organisms that fall into each type of curve? What factors might give rise to the three basic types of survivorship curves?
A graphic representation of mortality rate of a population through its lifespan, generated by life tables (cohort or static analysis)
Type I - most live to old age. Species that have large offspring and invest a lot into raising them
Type II - equal mortality rate through life. Bird, lizard species
Type III - High infant mortality, low mortality until old age. Octopus, squid, alligator
Size and quality of offspring, care bestowed by parents, predation patterns
- How do populations respond to variation in the environment? Is fluctuation in population number common for natural populations? Organisms with what values of r are more likely to “track” environmental fluctuation?
Different species respond differently
Yes, fluctuation is common
Organisms with r values >1 “track” environmental fluctuation
- What factors might cause some populations to show periodic cycles in population number? What is a time delay (time lag) in response to population density? What is the delay differential equation?
A time lag causes periodic cycling
Density dependent effects depend on past time (t-tau)
delay differential equation - dN/dt = rN [1- (Nt- tau / K)]
What is a monotonic return to carrying capacity? What are damped oscillations? Stable limit cycles? What values of r and τ give rise to these different responses?
Monotonic - normal logistic growth (0< rt<0.368) monotonic return
Damped osciallations - overshoot and undershoot equilibrium until stable (0.368r<1,6
Stable limit cycle 1.6
- How does a time lag factor into the discrete-time logistic model? What is a monotonic return to carrying capacity? What are damped oscillations? Stable limit cycles? Chaos? What values of r give rise to these different responses? How does the discrete-time delay model differ from the delay differential model?
Nt+1 = Nt + rNt (1- Nt/K) - has a built in time lag of length of 1.0
r < 1, -montonic return (normal logistic growth)
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What is the basic metapopulation model (mathematical)? What are stochastic factors? How are extinction probabilities affected by stochastic processes in small populations?
dp/dt= cp(1-p) – ep
e = probability of subpopulation going extinct p = fraction of suitable habitat patches occupied by subpopulations. c = rate of patch colonization
Stochastic events- random chance events (tornado, hurricane), have a stronger effect in small pops than large pops
- What are the different types of multi-species interactions?
- Neutral (0,0)
- Mutualism (+,+)
- Commensalism (+,0) shark and fish
- Amensalism (-,0) elephants tromping small animals
- Parasitism (+,-)
- Predation (+,-)
- Competition (-,-)
- What is predation? Compare and contrast it with other forms of multiple species interaction.
Predation (-,-) includes:
- Carnivory
- Herbivory - includes grazers, browsers and seed predators
- Parasitism- parasite doesn’t kill the host
- Parasitoidism- parasite lays larvae in host that end up killing the host
- Cannibalism- same species predation
Compare intimacy of relationship and probability of death