Module 4.3 Population Biology

These flashcards cover essential terms and definitions related to population biology, focusing on factors affecting population sizes, density-related issues, and ecological dynamics.

Carrying Capacity

The maximum number of individuals of a species that an environment can sustain.

Limiting Factors

Resources needed for survival that may be in short supply, which determine carrying capacity.

Density-Dependent Factors

Factors whose effects on the population increase as the population density increases, such as competition and predation.

Density-Independent Factors

Factors that affect a population regardless of its size, such as natural disasters like storms and fires.

Trophic Cascades

Ecological phenomena triggered by the addition or removal of top predators which can drastically change ecosystem structure and nutrient cycling.

Inbreeding

Mating between individuals who are closely related, leading to a decrease in genetic diversity.

Population Control

The mechanisms that regulate the size and growth of populations, which can be top-down (predator effects) or bottom-up (resource effects).

Elk Browsing Pressure

The impact of elk feeding on vegetation, which can lead to reduced growth and regeneration of plants like aspen and willow.

Social Behaviors in Populations

Normal interactions among individuals, such as mating and group foraging, which can break down under too-low or too-high density conditions.

Top-Down Factors

Factors such as predators that control population sizes from above, affecting prey species and their vegetation.

Bottom-Up Factors

Constraints like food availability that limit population growth from below, influencing predator and prey dynamics.