AP Environmental Science Unit 3

Specialists

Smaller range of tolerance, or narrow ecological niche makes them more prone to extinction

Generalists

Large range of tolerance, broader niche makes them less prone to extinction

K-selected species

Few offspring, heaving parental care, high survival rate

r-selected species

Many offspring, little to no parental care, low survival rate

Biotic potential

The maximum number of offspring an organism or species can produce under ideal environmental conditions

Survivorship curve

Line that shows survival rate of a cohort in a population from birth to death

Type 1

High survivorship early in life due to parental care, high survivorship in midlife due to large size

Type 2

Steadily decreasing survivorship throughout life, linear

Type 3

High early mortality due to low or no parental care, few make it to midlife, even fewer make it to adulthood

Carrying capacity

The maximum number of individuals in a population that an ecosystem can support

Limiting resources

Environmental factors that limit the growth of a population in an ecosystem

Overshoot

When a population briefly exceeds carrying capacity

Die off/die back

Sharp decrease in population size when resource depletion leads to many individuals dying

Density-dependent factors

Features that influence population size independent of size

Density-independent factors

Factors that influence population size based on size

Biotic potential

Maximum potential growth rate, with no limiting reasons

Age cohorts

Groups of similarly aged individuals

Total fertility rate

The average total number of children a woman will have in her lifetime

Replacement level fertility

TFR required to offset deaths in a population and keep the population size stable

Infant mortality rate

Deaths of children under 1 year per 1000 in a population

Malthusian theory

Earth has a human carrying capacity. Population is growing faster than food supplies are

Industrialization

The process of economic and social transition from an agrarian society to an industrial one