3.2 K-selected and R-selected Species

K selected animals are..

most mammals and birds

R selected animals are..

insects, plants, and fish

Quality over quantity is found in what selected animals?

K selected

Quantity over quality is found in what selected animals?

R selected

Offspring number for K selected species are..

few

Offspring number for R selected species are..

many

Parental care for K selected species are..

heavy, in order to protect

Parental care for R selected species is..

little to no care

Reproduction frequency in K selected species is..

many times

Reproduction frequency in R selected species may..

only occur once

Population growth rate for K selected species:

long lifespan = long time to sexual maturity = low biotic potential = slow pop. growth rate

Population growth rate for R selected species:

shorter lifespan = quick to sexual maturity = high biotic potential = high pop growth rate

Potential for invasiveness in R selected species is..

more likely

K selected species are..

more likely to be disrupted by environmental change or invasives

R selected species are...

better suited for rapidly changing environmental conditions

What is biotic potential

reproduction rate

K selected species have low biotic potential which means..

it’s hard for population to recover after a disturbance

K selected species have high parental care which means..

death of parent means death of offspring

K selected species have low adaptability which means..

they are more likely to go extinct

R selected species have high biotic potential which means..

there is a more rapid population to recover after a disturbance

R selected species have low parental care which means..

death of parent doesn’t affect offspring since they come in high number

R selected species are more likely to..

become invasive

Larger population and faster generation time in R selected species means..

there is a higher chance of adaption with a lower rate of extinction