Questions and Answers
What are Limiting Factors?
What is Density Dependent?
An environmental factor such as predation, disease, and competition that depends on the number of members in a population per unit area.
What is Density Independent?
An environmental factor such as storms or extreme hot or cold that affects population regardless of their density.
What is Disease in ecological terms?
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What does a short food supply lead to?
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What is predation?
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What is habitat disruption?
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What are Invasive Species?
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What is competition in ecology?
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What is carrying capacity?
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What is exponential growth?
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What is logistic growth?
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What defines a population?
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What is an ecosystem?
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What are abiotic factors?
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What are biotic factors?
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What is population density?
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Study Notes
Limiting Factors
- Control population dynamics through biotic (living) or abiotic (non-living) elements.
- Essential for understanding community structure and species distribution.
Density Dependent Factors
- Influence populations based on density, such as prey availability, disease prevalence, and competition intensity.
- Key examples include:
- Disease: Alters normal bodily functions, often exacerbated by high population density.
- Food Supply: Scarcity leads to increased competition among organisms.
- Predation: One organism hunting another influences population size based on prey density.
- Competition: Organisms vie for essential resources like food, water, and shelter.
Density Independent Factors
- Impact populations without regard to their density.
- Examples include:
- Habitat Disruption: Natural or human-induced changes force species to relocate.
- Extreme Weather Events: Storms, heatwaves, or cold snaps can decimate populations irrespective of size.
Invasive Species
- Non-native organisms that disrupt established ecosystems by outcompeting native species for resources.
Carrying Capacity
- Represents the maximum population size that an environment can sustainably support, impacted by limiting factors.
Population Growth Patterns
- Exponential Growth: Characterized by rapid increases when resources are unlimited and no restraints exist.
- Logistic Growth: Follows a rapid initial growth phase, then stabilizes around the carrying capacity influenced by limiting factors.
Population and Ecosystem Concepts
- Population: Defined as a group of the same species inhabiting a specific area.
- Ecosystem: Comprises all living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) components in an area, interacting in complex ways.
Abiotic and Biotic Factors
- Abiotic Factors: Include elements like temperature, water, and minerals that shape the environment.
- Biotic Factors: Consist of all living organisms that interact within an ecosystem.
Population Density
- Refers to the number of individuals within a defined area, often used to assess habitat health and species viability.
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Description
Test your understanding of key terms in ecology such as limiting factors and population dynamics. This quiz covers essential concepts important for understanding how populations interact with their environments. Challenge yourself and see how well you know the factors that influence ecosystems!