Population Ecology Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards based on lecture notes about Population Ecology.

Population Ecology

The study of how populations interact with their environment.

Population

The total number of a particular species in a particular place at a particular time.

Carrying Capacity

The maximum population size of a species that can be supported in a given environment.

Limiting Factors

Factors that constrain a population's size and slow or stop it from growing.

Abiotic Factors

Non-living factors that can determine the carrying capacity of an environment.

Biotic Factors

Living factors that can determine the carrying capacity of an environment.

Population growth

The number of organisms in a population at an identified time

Population growth rate

The speed that a population changes.

Natality

Births or germination.

Immigration

Organisms moving in from outside the population.

Emigration

Organisms moving out of the population.

Lincoln Index

A method used to estimate population size using capture, marking, and recapture techniques.

Equilibrium

A state where the population is stable.

Overshoot

Population growth that exceeds the carrying capacity, leading to a die-off.

Population Density

The number of individuals per unit area or volume.

Limiting Factors

Factors limiting the growth, abundance, or distribution of an organism or a population.

Distribution

The pattern of where individuals of a species are found in a physical space.

Random Distribution

A population distribution where organisms are spaced irregularly.

Uniform Distribution

A population distribution where organisms are evenly spaced.

Clumped Distribution

A population distribution where numbers of individuals are grouped together.

Population Growth Potential

The potential of a population to increase in size.

Exponential Growth

Growth where the population size increases at a constant rate, resulting in a J-curve.

Logistic Growth

A growth mode that shows a smooth increase in the density of a population, slowing down as the carrying capacity is reached; S-curve.

Density-Dependent Factors

Factors determined by the size of the population.

Density-Independent Factors

Factors that affect a population's size regardless of the size or density of the population.

M (Lincoln Index)

The number of individuals caught, marked, and released initially in the Lincoln Index.

n (Lincoln Index)

The number of individuals caught on second sampling in the Lincoln Index.

m (Lincoln Index)

The number of individuals recaptured that were marked in the Lincoln Index.

Exponential Growth (J – curve)

A J-shaped curve that occurs when the birth rate of a population remains consistently higher than the death rate, the population may grow exponentially

Logistic Growth (S – curve)

A S-shaped curve that represents what is likely to happen in the real world and takes limiting factors into account

Abiotic Limiting Factor

Availably of shelter

Biotic Limiting Factor

Number of mates

Population Growth Rate

Measure of how fast the change in population is occurring (r)

Approaching Carrying Capacity

When logistic S-shaped curve growth rate decreases

Biotic Limiting Factor

Number and variety of disease-causing organisms

Population Size

Measure of the number of organisms in a population

Stable Equilibrium

Occurs when the population aligns with the carrying capacity line

May diminish the habitat's carrying capacity

Unrestricted deer population growth

Degraded carrying capacity

Resource destruction during an overshoot

Biotic Factors that Determine Carrying Capacity

Availability and abundance of food

The population is growth

A growth rate that is positive

The population is declining

A growth rate that is negative

The population is stable and is said to be in equilibrium

A growth rate that is zero

Abiotic Limiting Factors

Natural disaster leading to decreasing carrying capacity

Density Dependent Factors

A factor includes Competition

Density Independent Factors

A factor includes Bushfires

Clumped Distribution

This is related to social behavior e.g. schools of fish

Population Growth Rate

It can be calculated by: r = (b + i ) − (d + e)

Limiting factors

The type of factor that is limiting may change over time

Outside of these factors productivity is reduced

Organisms have an ideal range for abiotic factors