Populations

Population

A group of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area

Species

A group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring

Dispersion

Pattern of species in a population

Limiting Factor

factor that prevents a population from increasing

Limiting Factor Principle

too little of one factor can limit population growth, even if all other factors are near optimal range of tolerance

Carrying Capacity

Largest number of individuals of a population that an environment can support

Population Crash

Dramatic decline in the size of a population over a short period of time

Age structure

Percentage of the population at, younger, or older, than reproductive age

Exponential growth

population growth that is unhindered because of the abundance of resources for an ever increasing population

Biotic Potential

The maximum rate at which a population would increase under ideal conditions

Environmental resistance

All the limiting factors that act together to limit the growth of a population

Logistic Growth

Population growth that is controlled by limited resources

Population Density

number of individuals per unit area

Inertia

the delay or slowness in the response of an ecosystem to a disturbance

Resilience

the capacity of an ecosystem to respond to a disturbance and recover quickly

Persistence

the ability of an ecosystem to survive a disturbance

Total Fertility Rate(TFR)

The average number of children a woman will have throughout her childbearing years

Type 1 species

species that exhibit low death rates during early and middle life, then high death rates in later life

Type 2 species

species that exhibit a constant death rate throughout its life span

type 3 species

species that exhibits high death rates during early life, then declining death rates in later life