Apes Unit 1-3 vocab

Age Structure

The distribution of individuals in different age groups within a population, often represented as a pyramid-shaped graph

Baby Bust

A period of significantly lower birth rates following a baby boom, resulting in a relatively smaller population increase

Baby Boom

A sudden increase in the birth rate, leading to a significant demographic bulge in the population

Biotic Potential

The maximum reproductive capacity of a population under optimal environmental conditions, without considering limiting factors

Birth Rate

The number of live births per 1,000 individuals in a given population over a specific period

Carrying Capacity (K)

The maximum population size that a particular environment can support sustainably

Competitors

Species that use the same resources and may compete for them in an ecosystem

Crude Birth Rate

The number of live births per 1,000 people in a population, without adjusting for age or sex differences

Crude Death Rate

The number of deaths per 1,000 people in a population, without adjusting for age or sex differences

Death Rate

The number of deaths per unit of population in a given time period

Demographic Transition

The process of a society moving from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates, usually accompanying economic and social development

Demography

The study of populations, including their size, composition, distribution, density, and changes over time

Density Dependent Factors

Environmental factors, such as competition and predation, whose effects on a population depend on its density

Density Independent Factors

Environmental factors, such as natural disasters, that affect a population irrespective of its density

Developed Country

A country with a high standard of living, advanced technology, and a strong economy

Developing Country

A country with a lower standard of living, lower industrialization levels, and lower Human Development Index (HDI) scores

Doubling Time

The time it takes for a population to double in size, calculated using the rule of 70

Growth Rate

The rate at which a population increases or decreases over time, usually expressed as a percentage

Ecological Footprint

The amount of biologically productive land and water required to support an individual's lifestyle and absorb their waste

Economy

The system of production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services within a society

Emigration

The act of leaving one's country or region to settle in another

Environmental Degradation

The deterioration of the environment through depletion of resources, pollution, and other detrimental changes

Environmental Ethics

The branch of philosophy that considers the moral and ethical relationship between humans and the environment

Environmental Resistance

Factors that limit the growth of a population and prevent it from reaching its biotic potential

Environmentally Sustainable Economic Development

Economic development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

Exponential Growth

Population growth that occurs when a fixed percentage of the population is added to it each year

Family Planning

The practice of controlling the number of children in a family and the intervals between their births

Famine

A severe shortage of food leading to widespread hunger and mortality

Fertility

The ability to produce offspring, often measured as the number of live births in a population

Globalization

The increasing interconnectedness and interdependence of countries through trade, communication, and cultural exchange

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

The total value of all goods and services produced within a country in a specific time period

Immigration

The act of individuals moving into a new country or region to settle

Industrialization

The process of transforming an economy from primarily agrarian and manual labor-based to industrial and mechanized

Infant Mortality Rate

The number of deaths of infants (under one year old) per 1,000 live births in a given population

K-Selected Species

Species that typically have few offspring with longer gestation periods and invest more in parental care

J-Curve

A curve on a graph that depicts exponential growth

Less Developed Country (LDC)

A country with a lower standard of living, lower industrialization levels, and lower Human Development Index (HDI) scores

Life Expectancy

The average number of years a person can expect to live based on current mortality rates

Limiting Factor

An environmental factor that limits the growth, distribution, or abundance of a population within an ecosystem

Linear Growth

Population growth that occurs at a constant rate over time

Logistic Growth

Population growth that follows a sigmoid (S-shaped) curve, where growth slows as the population approaches the carrying capacity

Malnutrition

A condition resulting from an insufficient or unbalanced diet

More Developed Country (MDC)

A country with a high standard of living, advanced technology, and a strong economy

Natural Capital

The stock of natural resources, including air, water, soil, and biodiversity, that provides benefits to humans

Opportunist

Species with a high reproductive rate that produces many offspring, typically with little parental care

Overnutrition

The consumption of too many calories or nutrients, leading to health problems

Overshoot

The extent by which a population exceeds the carrying capacity of its environment

Per Capita

Per person; often used to express values on a per-person basis

Population Density

The number of individuals of a species per unit area or volume

Population Dispersion

The pattern of spacing of individuals within a population

Population Distribution

The arrangement of individuals in a particular area, often described in terms of population density and dispersion

Population Dynamics

The study of how and why populations change over time and space

Population Momentum

The tendency of a growing population to continue growing even after fertility rates have declined

Population Size

The number of individuals in a population

Post-Industrial

A stage of societal development characterized by a shift from an industrial to a service-based economy

Post-Reproductive Age

The stage of life after the reproductive years

Poverty

The state of being extremely poor, often lacking basic necessities

Pre-Industrial

A stage of societal development characterized by a reliance on manual labor and draft animals

Pre-Reproductive Age

The stage of life before the reproductive years

Post-Industrial

A stage of societal development characterized by a shift from an industrial to a service-based economy

Replacement-Level Fertility

The fertility rate at which a population replaces itself from one generation to the next, typically around 2

1 children per woman

R-Selected Species

Species that produce many offspring with little parental care, often in unpredictable environments

Rule of 70

A formula used to estimate the doubling time of a population, calculated by dividing 70 by the growth rate

S-Curve

A curve that depicts logistic growth, resembling the letter "S

" Surplus

The amount by which a resource or population exceeds what is required

Survivorship Curve

A graph showing the number or proportion of individuals surviving to each age for a given species or group

Total Fertility Rate (TFR)

The average number of children a woman is expected to have during her reproductive years

Transitional

A stage of demographic transition characterized by declining death rates but still high birth rates

Adaptation

The process by which organisms evolve traits that enhance their survival and reproduction in a specific environment

Allele

One of the alternative forms of a gene that occupies a specific position on a chromosome

Artificial Selection

The intentional breeding of organisms with desirable traits by humans, leading to a change in the genetic makeup of a population over time

Background Extinction

The continuous, low-level extinction of species that occurs naturally over geological time, as opposed to mass extinctions

Biodiversity

The variety of life on Earth, including the diversity of species, ecosystems, and genetic diversity within species

Biological Diversity

Another term for biodiversity, encompassing the variety of life at all levels of organization

Bottleneck Effect

A sharp reduction in the size of a population due to environmental events or human activities, leading to a loss of genetic diversity

Climax Community

A stable, mature community that undergoes little or no change in species composition over time

Competitive Exclusion

The principle that two species competing for the same limiting resource cannot coexist indefinitely, with one species eventually outcompeting and excluding the other

Cultural Services

Benefits provided by ecosystems that contribute to human well-being, including aesthetic, spiritual, educational, and recreational values

Ecological Diversity

The variety of ecosystems, habitats, and communities present in a region

Ecological Niche

The role and position of a species in its environment, including how it obtains and utilizes resources and interacts with other species

Ecosystem Services

The benefits that ecosystems provide to humans, including provisioning services, regulating services, cultural services, and supporting services

Endangered Species

A species at risk of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range

Edge Effect

Changes in population or community structures that occur at the boundary between two habitats, often characterized by increased diversity and different ecological conditions

Endemic Species

Species that are native and restricted to a particular geographic area

Evolution

The process of change in all forms of life over generations, driven by mechanisms such as natural selection, genetic drift, and mutation

Extinction

The complete disappearance of a species from the Earth

Fitness

The ability of an organism to survive and reproduce in its environment, contributing to the persistence of its genetic traits in subsequent generations

Founder Effect

The reduced genetic diversity that results when a small subset of a population establishes a new population

Fundamental Niche

The full range of environmental conditions in which a species can survive and reproduce in the absence of competition from other species

Gene Flow

The movement of genes between populations, which can lead to increased genetic diversity

Gene Pool

The total genetic information of all the individuals in a population

Generalist Species

A species with a broad ecological niche, able to thrive in a variety of environmental conditions

Genetic Diversity

The variety of genes within a population or species

Genetic Drift

Changes in the frequency of a gene variant in a population due to random events

Geographic Isolation

Physical separation of populations by geographic barriers, leading to reproductive isolation

Habitat

The specific environment in which an organism lives, characterized by physical, chemical, and biological factors

Inbreeding Depression

A reduction in fitness due to the mating of closely related individuals, leading to an increased expression of deleterious recessive alleles

Indicator Species

A species whose presence, absence, or abundance indicates the health of an ecosystem

Interspecific Competition

Competition between individuals or populations of different species for the same resource