lectures 15 pop ecology

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What is the current global population and how much is it increasing each year?

  • 7.8 billion, increasing by 75 million each year
  • 7.8 billion, increasing by 100 million each year
  • 6.6 billion, increasing by 75 million each year (correct)
  • 6.6 billion, increasing by 200,000 each day

What is the current estimated global population and how much is it increasing each year?

The current estimated global population is more than 6.6 billion people and it is increasing by about 75 million each year.

What is the third hypothesis about and what is the correlation between sunspot activity and hare populations?

The third hypothesis is about the correlation between sunspot activity and hare populations. The researchers found a weak correlation between the two, but it is not clear how sunspot activity could affect hare populations.

What is the third hypothesis and how strong is its support?

<p>The third hypothesis is about the correlation between sunspot activity and hare populations. It is weakly supported.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the main focus of population ecology?

<p>The study of groups of individuals of the same species in the same area (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the main factor that influences population changes for predators such as lynx, great-horned owls, and weasels?

<p>Food availability (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is population ecology?

<p>Population ecology is the study of populations in relation to their environment.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is population ecology?

<p>The study of populations in relation to their environment (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the logistic model used for?

<p>To explain how a population grows slowly as it nears its carrying capacity (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is population ecology and what are its important parameters for estimating population abundance?

<p>Population ecology studies the group of individuals of the same species in the same area, their resource needs, and how they interact and breed. Population size, density, distribution, and biomass are important parameters to estimate population abundance.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the logistic model and how does it describe population growth?

<p>The logistic model describes how a population grows slowly as it nears its carrying capacity. It takes into account the environmental limitations that prevent a population from indefinitely increasing in size.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are the important parameters to estimate population abundance?

<p>Size, density, distribution, and biomass (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the projected global population range for 2050 according to population ecologists?

<p>7.8-10.8 billion people (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the mark-recapture method and how is it used to estimate population size?

<p>Mark-recapture is a common method to estimate population size, where a sample is marked and released, and then recaptured to estimate the total population size.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the predicted global population range for the year 2050 according to population ecologists?

<p>Population ecologists predict a population of 7.8-10.8 billion people on Earth by 2050.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are the three fundamental characteristics of individuals in any population?

<p>The three fundamental characteristics of individuals in any population are density, dispersion, and demographics.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are the likely factors that contribute to the cyclic population changes of lynx and snowshoe hares?

<p>The cyclic population changes of lynx and snowshoe hares are likely due to a combination of food availability and predator-prey interactions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are the two processes that add to a population and the two processes that remove from a population?

<p>Birth and death; immigration and emigration (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What factors contribute to the cyclic population changes of lynx and snowshoe hares?

<p>The cyclic population changes of lynx and snowshoe hares are likely due to a combination of food availability and predator-prey interactions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are the three fundamental characteristics of individuals in any population?

<p>Density, dispersion, and demographics (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the correlation between sunspot activity and hare populations?

<p>Weak correlation (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How are life history traits determined and what is their significance?

<p>Life history traits are products of natural selection, which shapes the timing and amount of reproduction and survival strategies of organisms. These traits play a crucial role in determining an organism's fitness and success in its environment.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which pattern of dispersion is characterized by individuals being more or less equally spaced apart?

<p>Uniform dispersion (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the common method used to estimate population size?

<p>Sampling (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are the three types of population distribution and how do they affect the availability of resources and interactions among individuals?

<p>The three types of population distribution are clumped, uniform, or random, and they affect the availability of resources and interactions among individuals.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are the three patterns of dispersion in a population, and provide an example of each?

<p>The three patterns of dispersion are uniform, random, and clumped. An example of uniform dispersion is humans living in a city with evenly spaced buildings and housing. An example of random dispersion is plants with wind-dispersed seeds randomly scattered by the wind. An example of clumped dispersion is elephants gathering around a watering hole in groups.</p> Signup and view all the answers

In which regions has global life expectancy dropped in recent years?

<p>Countries of the former Soviet Union and sub-Saharan Africa (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Has global life expectancy been consistently increasing or decreasing since 1950?

<p>Global life expectancy has been increasing since about 1950, but more recently it has dropped in a number of regions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is demography?

<p>The study of the vital statistics of populations and how they change over time (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How do ecologists estimate densities and total population sizes?

<p>Ecologists use a variety of sampling techniques to estimate densities and total population sizes.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the hypothesis tested by ecologists regarding the population cycles of hares?

<p>Sunspot activity affects the population cycles of hares (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does the population of predators like lynx respond to the population of their prey, the snowshoe hares?

<p>When hare numbers are high, predators such as lynx have more food available and their population grows. As predator numbers increase, hare numbers decline, leading to a decrease in predator numbers, and the cycle begins again.</p> Signup and view all the answers

How do predator numbers affect hare numbers and vice versa?

<p>When hare numbers are high, predators such as lynx have more food available and their population grows. As predator numbers increase, hare numbers decline, leading to a decrease in predator numbers, and the cycle begins again.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What happens to predator populations when prey become scarce?

<p>They turn on one another, accelerating their own collapse (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Name two regions where life expectancy has dropped in recent years.

<p>Countries of the former Soviet Union and sub-Saharan Africa.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are the three types of population distribution?

<p>Clumped, uniform, and random (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What hypothesis did ecologists test regarding the population cycles of hares and what did they find?

<p>Ecologists tested the hypothesis that sunspot activity affects the population cycles of hares. They found that periods of low sunspot activity were followed by peaks in the hare population, suggesting that both predation and sunspot activity regulate hare numbers.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are vital statistics in population ecology and what factors affect them?

<p>Vital statistics of a population, such as survival rates and reproduction rates, depend on the population structure and its life history traits.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What hypothesis did ecologists test regarding the population cycles of hares and how did they conduct the experiment?

<p>Ecologists tested the hypothesis that sunspot activity affects the population cycles of hares. They conducted experiments during low sunspot activity to observe the effect on hare populations.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is natural selection?

<p>The process by which individuals with advantageous traits are more likely to survive and reproduce (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is demography?

<p>Demography is the study of the vital statistics of populations and how they change over time.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What nonrenewable resources could humans run out of?

<p>Certain metals and fossil fuels (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does natural selection favor?

<p>Natural selection favors traits that improve an organism’s chances of survival and reproductive success, which make up its life history.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What happens to hare populations during periods of low sunspot activity?

<p>They increase (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the rate of global population increase each day?

<p>200,000 people (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What do vital statistics of a population depend on?

<p>The population's structure and life history traits (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the per capita rate of increase?

<p>The difference between the per capita birth rate and the per capita death rate (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the major factor influencing population changes for predators such as lynx, great-horned owls, and weasels?

<p>The availability of prey is the major factor influencing population changes for predators such as lynx, great-horned owls, and weasels, which depend heavily on a single prey species.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are nonrenewable resources and what is the concern regarding their availability?

<p>Nonrenewable resources are resources such as certain metals and fossil fuels that cannot be replaced once they are used up. The concern is that humans could run out of these resources.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is exponential growth and when does it occur in population ecology?

<p>Exponential growth occurs when a population grows at a constant rate without any limiting factors.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of ultraviolet radiation in hare populations during low sunspot activity?

<p>During low sunspot activity, more ultraviolet radiation reaches Earth's surface, causing plants to produce more chemicals that act as sunscreens and fewer chemicals that deter herbivores, thus increasing the quality of the hares' food.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the logistic growth model?

<p>A model that describes how a population grows more slowly as it nears its carrying capacity (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Give an example of a renewable resource that has already exceeded the demands of certain populations.

<p>Water is a renewable resource that has already exceeded the demands of many populations at the local and even regional level.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is logistic growth and how does it differ from exponential growth?

<p>Logistic growth occurs when the population growth rate slows down due to limiting factors, while exponential growth occurs when a population grows at a constant rate without any limiting factors.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the exponential model describe?

<p>The exponential model describes population growth in an idealized, unlimited environment.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What regulates hare numbers and what role does food availability play in this regulation?

<p>Both predation and sunspot activity regulate hare numbers, with food availability playing a less important role.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which species depend heavily on a single prey species?

<p>Lynx, great-horned owls, and weasels (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is exponential growth?

<p>When a population grows at a constant rate without any limiting factors (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How do predators like lynx respond when prey becomes scarce?

<p>When prey become scarce, predators often turn on one another, accelerating the collapse of the predator populations.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which renewable resource has already been exceeded by the demands of many populations?

<p>Water (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the major factor influencing population changes for predators such as lynx, great-horned owls, and weasels?

<p>The availability of prey is the major factor influencing population changes for predators such as lynx, great-horned owls, and weasels, which depend heavily on a single prey species.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why is population ecology important and what are some of its applications?

<p>Population ecology is important to understand the dynamics and management of populations, and to prevent extinction or overexploitation of species.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is carrying capacity?

<p>The maximum number of individuals that a population can support (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is carrying capacity?

<p>The maximum stable population size that a particular environment can support (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the difference between exponential growth and rapid growth in terms of population?

<p>Exponential growth is when a population grows at an increasing rate over time. Rapid growth is when a population is increasing quickly, but not necessarily at an increasing rate.</p> Signup and view all the answers

When did global life expectancy begin to increase?

<p>1950 (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What role does food availability play in the regulation of hare numbers?

<p>Food availability plays a less important role in the regulation of hare numbers compared to predation and sunspot activity.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the per capita rate of increase?

<p>The per capita rate of increase, or r, which equals b - d, indicates whether a population is growing or declining.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the less important role played by food availability in the population cycles of hares?

<p>Minor role (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the maximum projected global population for 2050 according to population ecologists?

<p>10.8 billion people (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the major factor that regulates hare numbers?

<p>Predator-prey interactions (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is population ecology and how does it relate to the study of human population growth?

<p>Population ecology is the study of how populations interact with their environment. It relates to the study of human population growth because it helps us understand how human populations are impacting the environment and how the environment is impacting human populations.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the exponential model?

<p>A model that describes population growth in an idealized, unlimited environment (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What continues to help unravel the complex causes of population cycles?

<p>Long-term experimental studies continue to help unravel the complex causes of population cycles.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is carrying capacity and how does it affect population growth?

<p>Carrying capacity (K) is the maximum number of individuals that a habitat can support sustainably. It affects population growth by limiting the availability of resources and eventually slowing down population growth.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What happens to predator populations when prey become scarce?

<p>When prey become scarce, predators often turn on one another, accelerating the collapse of the predator populations.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the ecological footprint?

<p>The amount of land required to sustain a population's resource consumption (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is carrying capacity?

<p>Carrying capacity defines the maximum stable population size that a particular environment can support.</p> Signup and view all the answers

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Study Notes

Example Summary Title: Population Ecology

  • Population ecology studies the group of individuals of the same species in the same area, their resource needs, and how they interact and breed.
  • Population size, density, distribution, and biomass are important parameters to estimate population abundance.
  • Mark-recapture is a common method to estimate population size, where a sample is marked and released, and then recaptured to estimate the total population size.
  • Population distribution or dispersion can be clumped, uniform, or random, and it affects the availability of resources and interactions among individuals.
  • Vital statistics of a population, such as survival rates and reproduction rates, depend on the population structure and its life history traits.
  • Exponential growth occurs when a population grows at a constant rate without any limiting factors, while logistic growth occurs when the population growth rate slows down due to limiting factors.
  • Population ecology is important to understand the dynamics and management of populations, and to prevent extinction or overexploitation of species.This article discusses population growth and its limitations, primarily focusing on the concept of carrying capacity (K) and how it affects population growth. The article explores the factors that slow population growth, including competition for resources, disease, predation, and territoriality. It also explains the logistic model of population growth, which incorporates the eventual slowing of growth as a result of reaching carrying capacity. Additionally, the article discusses the ecological footprint and how it can be used to estimate resource requirements per person, city, or country. Finally, the article suggests ways to control for density and reduce ecological footprint to achieve sustainable population growth.

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