Ch: 56 Population Ecology

What is a population in sexually reproducing species?

A group of interbreeding individuals of the same species living in the same area at the same time.

What is population ecology?

The study of factors that influence population size, growth, and regulation.

What is population density?

The number of individuals per unit area or volume.

What are the three main patterns of population dispersion?

Clumped, uniform, and random.

What is a cohort?

A group of individuals of the same age within a population.

What is demography?

The study of birth rates, death rates, age structure, and population size.

What information do life tables provide?

Survivorship and reproductive output for different age classes.

What do survivorship curves represent?

The proportion of individuals surviving at each age.

What does the net reproductive rate (R₀) measure?

The average number of offspring produced per individual per generation.

What does the per capita growth rate (r) determine?

The rate at which a population increases or decreases over time.

What is exponential population growth?

Rapid population growth under unlimited resources, producing a J-shaped curve.

What is logistic population growth?

Population growth that slows as resources become limited and approaches carrying capacity.

What is carrying capacity (K)?

The maximum population size that an environment can sustain indefinitely.

What are density-dependent factors?

Factors such as competition or disease whose effects increase with population density.

What are density-independent factors?

Factors such as weather or natural disasters that affect populations regardless of density.

What are habitat patches?

Discrete areas of suitable habitat separated by unsuitable areas.

What are corridors in landscape ecology?

Connections between habitat patches that allow movement and gene flow.

What is a metapopulation?

A group of spatially separated subpopulations connected by dispersal.

What are life history strategies?

Patterns of survival, reproduction, and development shaped by natural selection.

What characterizes r-selected species?

High reproductive rates, many offspring, rapid development, and short lifespans.

What characterizes K-selected species?

Fewer offspring, slower development, greater competitive ability, and longer lifespans.