UNIT THREE APES

generalist species

organisms with a broad ecological niche that can thrive in a wide variety of environmental conditions and utilize multiple food sources

specialist species

an organism that has a narrow niche, requiring specific food sources, a limited range of climatic tolerance, or a precise habitat to survive

K-selected species

a large, long-lived organism that produces few offspring, invests heavily in parental care, and lives in a stable environment near its carrying capacity (K)

r-selected species

organisms that maximize their intrinsic growth rate (r) by producing many small offspring with little to no parental care, allowing them to quickly colonize unstable or disturbed environments

biotic potential

the maximum possible growth rate and reproductive capacity of a population under ideal environmental conditions with unlimited resources

fecundity

the physical ability or physiological potential of an organism or population to reproduce

reproductive rate

the number of offspring produced by an organism or a population per unit of time

survivorship curves

a line graph that displays the relative survival rates of a cohort from birth to the maximum age reached by any member

cohort

a group of individuals of the same age (or born around the same time) within a population

type 1 survivorship curve

a graphical representation on a Survivorship Curves coordinate plot where organisms show high survival rates through early and middle life, with a sharp increase in mortality only as individuals reach old age

survivorship curves coordinate plot

a line graph on a coordinate plot that displays the proportion or number of individuals in a cohort (a group of organisms born at the same time) still alive at each age, from birth to the maximum lifespan

type two survivorship curve

a graphical representation showing a constant mortality rate throughout an organism's entire lifespan

type three survivorship curve

a graphical representation showing high mortality rates early in life, with a steep drop on the graph, followed by a much lower death rate for the few individuals that survive to adulthood

carrying capacity

the maximum population size that an environment can sustain indefinitely using its available resources

population overshoot

when a population grows larger than the carrying capacity of its environment

die off (dieback)

a rapid and severe decline in a population size due to death

population density

the number of individuals of a specific species per unit of land or water area

population distribution

describes how individuals in a population are spaced or arranged relative to one another within a given geographic area

sex ratio

the proportion of males to females in a population

density dependent factors

limiting factors whose effect on a population's birth and death rates changes as the population density increases

density independent factors

environmental forces that affect the size and growth rate of a population regardless of how dense or crowded the population is

percent change

the relative increase or decrease of a value compared to its original starting amount, expressed as a percentage

age structure diagram

a visual representation of the distribution of a population by age groups and sex, typically displayed as back to back horizontal bar charts

reproductive capacity

an organism's or population's maximum potential to produce offspring

pyramid shape

a wide-base age structure diagram (also called a population pyramid) that indicates a rapidly growing population

rectangle shape

indicates a stable population with little to no growth

inverted pyramid shape

an age structure diagram with a narrow base and a wider top, indicating a declining or shrinking population

total fertility rate

the average number of children a woman is expected to have during her reproductive years

replacement level fertility

the average number of children a woman must have during her reproductive years to exactly replace the older generation and maintain a stable population size over time, assuming no migration

infant mortality rate

the number of deaths of infants under one year old per 1,000 live births in a given year

malthusian theory

human population grows exponentially while food supply grows linearly, eventually leading to a crisis when population exceeds the Earth's carrying capacity

rule of 70

to estimate how many years it takes for a growing population to double in size

population growth rate

the speed at which a population increases or decreases in size over a specific period, determined by the balance of births, deaths, and migration

crude death/birth rate

the number of live births or deaths per 1,000 individuals in a population per year

demographic transition

the historical shift of a country's population from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates as it develops from a pre-industrial society into an industrialized economic system

industrialization

the process by which an economy shifts from mostly agricultural production to manufacturing and industrial activity

pre industrial stage

the initial phase characterized by both high birth rates and high death rates, resulting in a stable, slow-growing, or near-zero overall population growth rate

transitional/industrializing stage

characterized by rapidly declining death rates and continued high birth rates, which leads to exponential population growth

industrialized stage

the phase where a country's birth rates begin to decline while death rates remain low

highly developed stage

both birth rates and death rates reach low, stable levels and population growth stabilizes or begins to decline