Population Ecology

Flashcards to review key concepts in Population Ecology.

Population Ecology

The study of how biotic and abiotic factors influence the abundance, dispersion, and age structure of populations.

Density

The number of individuals per unit area or volume in a population.

Dispersion

The pattern of spacing among individuals within the boundaries of a population.

Mark-Recapture Method

A technique used to estimate population sizes by capturing, tagging, and releasing individuals.

Immigration

The influx of new individuals from other areas into a population.

Emigration

The movement of individuals out of a population.

Clumped Dispersion

A pattern where individuals aggregate in patches, influenced by resource availability.

Uniform Dispersion

A distribution pattern where individuals are evenly spaced, often due to territoriality.

Random Dispersion

A pattern where the position of each individual is independent of others, occurring in the absence of strong attractions.

Demography

The study of vital statistics of populations, such as birth, death, and migration rates.

Life Table

An age-specific summary of the survival and reproductive rates within a population.

Cohort

A group of individuals of the same age followed over time in a study.

Survivorship Curve

A graphic representation of the number of survivors at each age for a population.

Type I Survivorship Curve

Characterized by low death rates during early and middle life and increased death rates among older age groups.

Type II Survivorship Curve

Characterized by a constant death rate over the organism's life span.

Type III Survivorship Curve

Characterized by high death rates for the young and lower death rates for survivors.

Exponential Growth

Population growth under idealized conditions where individuals increase in size by a constant proportion.

dN/dt = rN

The equation describing exponential population growth, where r is the intrinsic rate of increase.

J-shaped Curve

The curve representing exponential population growth, indicating rapid population increase.