15 Questions
What is biotic potential?
Biotic potential is the rate at which a species reproduces with unlimited conditions.
What factors contribute to biotic potential?
The factors that contribute to biotic potential are ideal living conditions with unlimited food resources, absence of predators, and no threat of disease.
Why do species generally not reach their full biotic potential?
Species generally do not reach their full biotic potential because they do not live in perfect conditions.
What is an example of a species with a high biotic potential?
An example of a species with a high biotic potential is insects, which produce a large number of offspring each breeding season.
What is the carrying capacity of an ecosystem?
The carrying capacity of an ecosystem is the average population size of a species in a particular area.
How does the biotic potential of geese compare to that of ducks?
The biotic potential of geese is 10-12 offspring per year, whereas the average biotic potential of ducks ranges from 60 to 300 offspring each year.
Which group of animals typically has low biotic potential?
Mammals typically have low biotic potential.
What is environmental carrying capacity influenced by?
Environmental carrying capacity is influenced by the presence of predators, competition among species for resources, diseases, and a lack of resources such as food, water, and shelter.
What are limiting factors and what is the sum of all limiting factors called?
Limiting factors are examples such as predators, competition, diseases, and lack of resources that influence environmental carrying capacity. The sum of all limiting factors is called environmental resistance.
How does environmental resistance contribute to the development of carrying capacity?
Environmental resistance limits the number of species that can survive in an ecosystem, leading to the development of carrying capacity.
When does a population remain stable at its carrying capacity?
A population remains stable at its carrying capacity when the birth rate and death rate of the species are relatively equal.
What happens when the death rate of a species surpasses the birth rate?
When the death rate of a species surpasses the birth rate, it indicates that the carrying capacity has gone over its limit.
What happens when a population is above carrying capacity?
When a population is above carrying capacity, resources are severely limited because of the excess number of species that are competing for the same resources.
Give an example of carrying capacity in cattle.
An example of carrying capacity in cattle is when there are just enough nutrients in the soil to sustain each of the cattle, but overgrazing can lead to a reduction in nutrients that is detrimental to the cattle population.
Give an example of carrying capacity in barnacles and oysters.
An example of carrying capacity in barnacles and oysters is the competition among the two for space to live, which limits the number of barnacle and oyster species, therefore establishing their carrying capacity.
Study Notes
Biotic Potential
- Biotic potential is the rate at which a species reproduces with unlimited conditions, meaning no limitations on food resources, no predators, and no threat of disease.
- Each species has its own unique biotic potential, determined by its rate of reproduction and the amount of offspring born each cycle.
- Examples of biotic potential:
- Geese: 10-12 offspring per year
- Ducks: 60-300 offspring per year
- Humans: 1-2 offspring per year
- Rabbits: 72 offspring per year
- Flies: 75-100 offspring per year
- Whales: 1 offspring per year
- Snakes: 10-30 offspring per year
Carrying Capacity of an Ecosystem
- Carrying capacity is the number of species in the average population size in a particular area.
- Environmental carrying capacity is influenced by limiting factors such as:
- Predators
- Competition among species for resources
- Diseases
- Lack of resources (food, water, shelter)
- Environmental resistance leads to the development of carrying capacity, limiting the number of species that can survive in an ecosystem.
- A population will remain stable at its carrying capacity until something occurs that reduces the sustainability of the population numbers.
Carrying Capacity Examples
- Cattle: Overgrazing can lead to a reduction in nutrients, causing the population to decrease.
- Barnacles and oysters: Competition for space to live on rocky surfaces limits the number of species, establishing their carrying capacity.
- North American Deer: Prior to colonization, the wild deer population was kept at a certain carrying capacity by the predation of wolves. After humans hunted wolves, the deer population grew exponentially, exceeding its carrying capacity and leading to a decrease in population due to a lack of resources.
- Trees in the Forest: Trees have a carrying capacity as they share the same space, nutrients, and amount of sunlight. When a forest reaches carrying capacity, each individual tree is receiving enough resources to live without having to compete.
Test your knowledge of biotic potential and its factors with this quiz! Learn about how species reproduce in ideal conditions and the factors that contribute to their population growth.
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