LEC 16: Population Dynamics

Review flashcards for Population Dynamics covering key concepts, definitions, and equations related to population modeling.

What does BIDE stand for in population dynamics?

Birth, Immigration, Death, Emigration.

What is the effect of immigration on population dynamics?

Immigration refers to the movement into a local population, potentially increasing its size.

What defines a birth in population biology?

Any reproductive process that produces new individuals in a population.

What can cause death in a population?

Old age, disease, lack of resources, herbivory, predation.

What is emigration?

The movement out of a local population.

What is dispersal in ecology?

Permanent movement of individuals or propagules, usually from one population to another.

What are the two types of dispersal vectors for sessile organisms?

Abiotic (wind, water) and Biotic (birds, mammals).

What is the general formula for modeling population growth?

Nt+1 = Nt + B + I - D - E.

What do B, I, D, and E represent in the population growth equation?

B = Number of births, I = Number of immigrants, D = Number of deaths, E = Number of emigrants.

When does a population grow according to the BIDE model?

When [B + I] > [D + E].

How is per capita birth rate (b) calculated?

b = B / Nt.

What does a per capita rate indicate?

It allows comparison of population changes independent of population size.

What influences the BIDE components of population dynamics?

Abiotic and biotic limiting factors.

What are density-independent factors?

Factors whose effects on BIDE do not vary with population density, like floods and extreme temperatures.

How does temperature act as a density-independent factor?

Temperature effects can lead to deaths unrelated to population density.

What distinguishes density-dependent factors?

Their effects on BIDE are influenced by population density.

What examples illustrate density-dependent factors?

Competitors, predators, and diseases.

What does a life table estimate?

The rates of change in a population.

What is R0 in population dynamics?

The net reproductive rate, indicating whether a population is stable, increasing, or declining.

What does R0 = 1 indicate?

Each female is producing exactly one female offspring to replace herself, leading to a stable population.

What does R0 < 1 indicate?

Population declines as each female fails to replace herself.

How is fecundity defined?

The average number of female offspring produced by an individual female in her lifetime.

What type of plant is Phlox drummondii?

An annual plant that is monocarpic, meaning it has a single reproductive event.

What is the average net reproductive rate for Phlox drummondii?

R0 = 2.4177, indicating population growth.

What is unique about the common mud turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum)?

It is a single-sex species with overlapping generations.

What is the average fecundity of the common mud turtle?

3.8 eggs/year.

How is R0 calculated for overlapping generations?

Using the formula R0 = Σ lxmx.

What does the term 'generation time' refer to?

The time between the birth of an individual and the birth of its offspring.

What is the significance of a high R0 value?

It indicates a growing population.

How can density-dependent effects impact juvenile populations?

High population density can increase parasite levels, decreasing births and increasing deaths.

What is the expected outcome when R0 < 1?

The population is declining.

Why might scientists focus on female fecundity in studies?

Maternity is easier to track than paternity.

What role does a fecundity schedule play in population studies?

It tabulates birth rates for females of different ages in a population.