specialist
smaller range of tolerance, or narrower ecological niche makes them more prone to extinction (specific food requirements, less ability to adapt to new conditions)
generalist
larger range of tolerance, broader niche makes them less prone to extinction and more likely to be invasive (broad food requirements, high adaptablility)
k-selected (quality)
few offspring, heavy parental care to protect them; generally have fewer reproductive events than r-strategist; long lifespan, long time to sexual maturity=low biotic potential=slow pop. growth rate; more likely to be disrupted by environmental changes (ex: most mammals, birds)
r-selected (quantity)
many offspring, little to no care; may reproduce only once, but generally reproduce many times throughout lifespan; shorter lifespan, quick to sexual maturity=high biotic potential=high pop. growth rate; more likely to be invasive; better suited for rapidly changing environmental conditions
biotic potential
the maximum rate at which a population could increase under ideal conditions
survivorship curve
line that shows the survival rate of a cohort in a pop. from birth to death
cohort
group of same-age individuals
faster drop in survivorship curve line
quicker die-off of individuals
slower drop in survivorship curve line
longer average lifespan
type I (mosty K-selected)
high survivorship early in life due to high parental care; high survivorship in midlife due to large size and defensive behavior; rapid decrease in survivorship in late life as old age sets in (ex: most mammals)
type II (in between R and K)
steadily decreasing survivorship throughout life
type III (mostly r-selected)
high mortality early in life due to little to no parental care; few make it to midlife; slow, steady decline in survivorship in mid life; even fewer make it to adulthood - slow decline in survivorship in old age (ex:insects, fish, plants)
carrying capacity (k)
the max number of individuals in a pop. that an ecosystem can support (based on limiting resources like food, water and habitat)
overshoot
when a pop. briefly exceeds carrying capacity
die-off
sharp decrease in pop. size when resource depletion (overshoot) leads to many individuals dying
size (n)
total number of individuals in a given area at a given time (larger=safer from pop. decline)
density
number of individuals/area (higher density=higher competition, possibility for disease outbreak, possibility of depletion food source)
distribution
how individuals in a pop. are spaced out compared to each other (random, uniform or clumped)
sex ratio
ratio of males to females, closer to 50:50, the more ideal for breeding (usually); die-off or bottleneck effect can lead to skewed sex ratio, limiting pop. growth
density-dependent factors
factors that influence pop. growth based on size
examples of density dependent factors
food, competition for habitat, water, light, disease, predation, ect.
density-independent factors
factors that influence pop. growth independent of their size
examples of density-independent factors
natural disasters (flood, hurricane, tornado, fire), migration habits, seasonal temp. changes, ect.
exponential growth
biotic potential, growth without limits
logistic growth
initial rapid growth, then limiting factors limit pop. to k
calculating pop. change
pop. size = initial pop. + (immigrations + births) - (emigrations + deaths)
age cohorts
groups of similarly aged individuals
prereproductive
0-14 year olds
reproductive age
15-44 year olds
post reproductive
45+ year olds
larger prereproductive cohort
current and future growth
roughly equal prereproductive and reproductive cohorts
slight growth/stable
larger reproductive age
pop. decline
extreme pyramid shape
rapid growth
less extreme pyramid
slow, stable growth
house
stable, little to no growth
narrowest at base
declining pop.
total fertility rate (TFR)
average number of children a woman in a pop. will bear throughout her lifetime (higher TFR=higher birth rate=higher pop. growth rate)
replacement level fertility
the TFR required to offset deaths in a pop. and keep pop. size stable (about 2.1 in developed countries to replace the mom and dad)
infant mortality rate (IMR)
number of deaths of children under 1 year per 1,000 people in a pop. (higher in less developed countries due to lack of access to healthcare, clean water, enough food, ect.)
higher IMR=
higher TFR, due to families having replacement children
factors in IMR decline
access to clean water, access to healthcare (hospitals, vaccines, vitamins, supplements, ect.), more reliable food supply, ect.
development (affluence)
more developed, or wealthy nations have a lower TFR than less developed nations
examples of development (affluence)
more educational access for women, more economical opportunity for women, higher access to family planning education and contraceptives, later age of first pregnancy, less need for children to work
government policy
can play a huge role in fertility by coercive (forceful) or noncoercive (encouraging) policies
examples of government policies
forced or voluntary sterilization, china's 1 (now 2) child policy, tax incentives to have fewer children, microcredits or loans to women without children to start businesses
Malthusian theory
earth has a human carrying capacity, probably based on food production; human pop. growth is happening faster than growth of food production
technological advancement
humans can alter earth's carrying capacity with technology innovation
growth rate (r)
% increase in a pop. (usually per year)
crude birth rate (CBR)
births per 1,000 people in a pop.
crude death rate (CDR)
deaths per 1,000 people in a pop.
calculating growth rate (r)
(CBR-CDR)/10
doubling time (rule of 70)
the time it takes (in years) for a pop. to double is equal to 70/r (growth rate)
factors that increase pop. growth rate
higher TFR=higher birth rate; high infant mortality rate can drive up TFR (replacement children); high immigration level; increased access to clean water and healthcare (decreased death rate)
factors that decrease pop. growth rate
high death rate; high infant mortality rate; increased development (education and affluence); increased education for women; delayed age of first child; postponement of marriage age
standard of living
what quality of life is like for people of a country
life expectancy
key health indicator of standard of living
gross domestic product (GDP)
key economic indicator of standard of living
industrialization
the process of economic and social transition from an agrarian (farming) economy to an industrial one (manufacturing basesd)
pre-industrialized/less developed
a country that has not yet made the agrarian to industrial transition, typically very poor/ low GDP
industrializing/ developing
part way through the transition from agrarian to industrial transition, decreasing death rate and IMR, rising GDP
industrialized/developed
completed the transition from agrarian to industrial, very low death rate and IMR, very high GDP, low TFR