Population Ecology Flashcards

Flashcards on Population Ecology

Population

A group of individuals of a single species living in the same general area.

Density

The number of individuals per unit area or volume.

Dispersion

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

Mark-recapture method

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

Demography

The study of the vital statistics of a population and how they change over time.

Life table

An age-specific summary of the survival pattern of a population.

Survivorship curve

A graphic way of representing the data in a life table.

Reproductive table (fertility schedule)

An age-specific summary of the reproductive rates in a population.

Exponential population growth

Population increase under idealized conditions, where the rate of increase is at its maximum (rmax).

Carrying capacity (K)

The maximum population size the environment can support.

Logistic population growth model

A population model that limits growth by incorporating carrying capacity.

Allee effect

A phenomenon in which individuals have a more difficult time surviving or reproducing if the population size is too small.

Semelparity

Reproduction in which an organism produces all of its offspring in a single event; also known as big-bang reproduction.

Iteroparity

Reproduction in which adults produce offspring over many years; also known as repeated reproduction.

r-selection

Density-independent selection, selects for life history traits that maximize reproduction.

K-selection

Density-dependent selection, selects for life history traits that are sensitive to population density.

Density-independent populations

Birth rate and death rate do not change with population density.

Density-dependent populations

Birth rates fall and death rates rise with population density.

Population dynamics

The study of population dynamics focuses on the complex interactions between biotic and abiotic factors that cause variation in population size.

Metapopulations

Groups of populations linked by immigration and emigration.

Demographic transition

The move from a high birth rate/high death rate state to a low birth rate/low death rate state.

Age structure

The relative number of individuals at each age in a population.

Ecological footprint

The aggregate land and water area needed to sustain the people of a nation.