Population Ecology: Growth, Regulation, and Dynamics

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Questions and Answers

What is ecology?

The study of organism-environment interactions.

Define population ecology.

The study of populations and their dynamics.

What does 'population size' refer to?

The total number of individuals in a population.

Explain 'population density'.

<p>The number of individuals per unit area.</p>
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Which type of growth occurs without resource limitations?

<p>Exponential Growth (C)</p>
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What is logistic growth?

<p>Growth limited by carrying capacity (K) (B)</p>
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What is Carrying Capacity (K)?

<p>The maximum sustainable population size an environment can support.</p>
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What characterizes Density Independent Regulation?

<p>Population regulation by abiotic factors (C)</p>
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Density Dependent Regulation is best described as:

<p>Regulation influenced by population density (A)</p>
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Define a metapopulation.

<p>A group of local populations connected by dispersal.</p>
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What are population cycles?

<p>Fluctuations in population size over time.</p>
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Which life history strategy involves a high reproduction rate and low parental care?

<p>R Strategy (D)</p>
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What defines the K Strategy in life history?

<p>Low reproduction rate, high parental care (D)</p>
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What does 'semelparity' mean?

<p>A single reproductive event in a lifetime.</p>
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Explain 'iteroparity'.

<p>Repeated reproduction over a lifetime.</p>
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What is the Birth Rate (b)?

<p>The number of births per 1000 individuals in a population per unit time (usually a year).</p>
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Define Death Rate (d).

<p>The number of deaths per 1000 individuals in a population per unit time (usually a year).</p>
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What is the Net Reproductive Rate (Ro)?

<p>The average number of offspring produced by an individual female during her lifetime.</p>
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What does 'doubling time' refer to in population dynamics?

<p>The amount of time it takes for a given population to double in size.</p>
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Which method is used for estimating population size by capturing, marking, releasing, and recapturing individuals?

<p>Mark-Recapture Method (A)</p>
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Counting individuals within defined square areas is known as the:

<p>Quadrat Method (C)</p>
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Describe 'boom and bust cycles'.

<p>Extreme fluctuations in population size, characterized by periods of rapid growth followed by sharp declines.</p>
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What is a 'life history trade-off'?

<p>The balancing act organisms face in allocating limited resources between survival, growth, and reproduction strategies.</p>
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What is Population Ecology?

<p>Study of populations and their dynamics.</p>
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What term describes the total number of individuals in a population?

<p>Population Size (D)</p>
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_____ is the number of individuals per unit area.

<p>Population Density</p>
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Exponential growth describes population growth that is limited by resources.

<p>False (B)</p>
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Define Logistic Growth.

<p>Growth limited by carrying capacity, K.</p>
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What does 'Carrying Capacity (K)' represent in population ecology?

<p>The maximum sustainable population in an environment (B)</p>
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What regulates population size in density-independent regulation?

<p>Abiotic factors.</p>
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Density-dependent regulation means population control is unaffected by how dense the population is.

<p>False (B)</p>
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A _____ consists of local populations connected by dispersal.

<p>Metapopulation</p>
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Which life history strategy is characterized by a high reproduction rate and low parental care?

<p>R Strategy (B)</p>
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The _____ is characterized by a low reproduction rate and high parental care.

<p>K Strategy</p>
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What is semelparity?

<p>A single reproductive event in a lifetime.</p>
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Iteroparity describes species that reproduce only once in their lifetime.

<p>False (B)</p>
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How is birth rate (b) typically expressed?

<p>Number of births per 1000 individuals.</p>
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What does the death rate (d) measure?

<p>Number of deaths per 1000 individuals (C)</p>
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The _____ is the average number of offspring produced per individual over its lifetime.

<p>Net Reproductive Rate (Ro)</p>
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What is doubling time in the context of population ecology?

<p>The time it takes for a population to double in size.</p>
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Which method estimates population size by capturing, marking, releasing, and then recapturing individuals?

<p>Mark-Recapture Method (D)</p>
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The quadrat method involves estimating population size through marking individuals.

<p>False (B)</p>
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A _____ involves balancing survival and reproduction strategies.

<p>Life History Trade Off</p>
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What field studies populations and their dynamics?

<p>Population Ecology</p>
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What term refers to the total number of individuals in a population?

<p>Population Size</p>
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Define Population Density.

<p>The number of individuals per unit area or volume.</p>
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What type of population growth occurs without resource limitations?

<p>Exponential Growth</p>
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What type of population growth is limited by the environment's carrying capacity?

<p>Logistic Growth</p>
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What type of population regulation involves abiotic factors?

<p>Density Independent Regulation</p>
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What type of population regulation is influenced by population density?

<p>Density Dependent Regulation</p>
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What is a Metapopulation?

<p>A group of spatially separated local populations linked by dispersal.</p>
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What are predictable fluctuations in population size over time called?

<p>Population Cycles</p>
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What life history strategy involves a low reproduction rate and high parental care?

<p>K Strategy</p>
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What term describes having only a single reproductive event in a lifetime?

<p>Semelparity</p>
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What term describes having repeated reproductive events over a lifetime?

<p>Iteroparity</p>
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What does Birth Rate (b), or natality, measure?

<p>The number of births per unit time, often expressed per 1000 individuals.</p>
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What does Death Rate (d), or mortality, measure?

<p>The number of deaths per unit time, often expressed per 1000 individuals.</p>
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What does the Net Reproductive Rate (Ro) represent?

<p>The average number of female offspring produced by a female over her lifetime.</p>
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What is the Mark-Recapture Method used for?

<p>Estimating the size of a mobile animal population.</p>
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What is the Quadrat Method primarily used for?

<p>Estimating population size and density, typically for plants or sessile/slow-moving animals.</p>
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What are Boom and Bust Cycles in population dynamics?

<p>Extreme and often rapid fluctuations in population size.</p>
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What does a Life History Trade Off entail?

<p>The balancing act organisms face when allocating limited resources between competing life functions like survival, growth, and reproduction.</p>
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Flashcards

Ecology

Study of interactions between organisms and their environment.

Population Ecology

The study of populations and their dynamics.

Population Size

The total number of individuals within a population.

Population Density

The number of individuals per unit area or volume.

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Exponential Growth

Population growth at a constant rate without resource limits.

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Logistic Growth

Population growth that slows and eventually stops as resources become limited, approaching carrying capacity (K).

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Carrying Capacity (K)

The maximum sustainable population size an environment can support given available resources.

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Density Independent Regulation

Population regulation by factors that don't depend on population size, such as natural disasters.

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Density Dependent Regulation

Population regulation influenced by factors that depend on population density, like competition and disease.

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Metapopulation

A group of spatially separated populations of the same species that interact through immigration and emigration.

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Population Cycles

Regular fluctuations in population size over time, often due to predator-prey interactions.

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R Strategy

A reproductive strategy characterized by high reproduction rates and minimal parental investment.

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K Strategy

A reproductive strategy characterized by low reproduction rates and high parental investment.

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Semelparity

A life history strategy of reproducing only once in a lifetime.

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Iteroparity

A life history strategy of reproducing multiple times throughout a lifetime.

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Birth Rate (b)

The number of births occurring in a population per 1000 individuals per year.

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Death Rate (d)

The number of deaths occurring in a population per 1000 individuals per year.

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Net Reproductive Rate (Ro)

The average number of offspring produced by an individual during its lifetime.

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Doubling Time

The time it takes for a population to double in size.

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Mark-Recapture Method

A method of estimating population size by capturing, marking, and recapturing individuals.

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Quadrat Method

A method used in ecology to estimate population size by counting individuals within defined areas.

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Boom and Bust Cycles

Population cycles characterized by rapid population increase followed by a sudden crash.

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Life History Trade Off

The compromise between survival and reproduction due to limited resources.

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Study Notes

  • Ecology is the study of interactions between organisms and their environment.
  • Population ecology focuses on the study of populations and their dynamics.

Population Basics

  • Population size is the total number of individuals within a population.
  • Population density is the number of individuals per unit area.

Population Growth Models

  • Exponential growth occurs when a population grows without resource limitations.
  • Logistic growth is population growth that is limited by the carrying capacity (K).
  • Carrying capacity (K) refers to the maximum sustainable population size that an environment can support.

Population Regulation

  • Density-independent regulation occurs when abiotic factors regulate population size.
  • Density-dependent regulation happens when population density influences regulation.

Population Dynamics

  • A metapopulation consists of local populations connected through dispersal.
  • Population cycles refer to fluctuations in population size over time.
  • Boom and bust cycles are extreme fluctuations in population size.

Life History Strategies

  • R-strategy involves a high reproduction rate and low parental care.
  • K-strategy involves a low reproduction rate and high parental care.
  • Semelparity is a single reproductive event in a lifetime.
  • Iteroparity involves repeated reproduction over a lifetime.
  • Life History Trade Off refers to balancing survival and reproduction strategies.

Population Rates

  • Birth rate (b) is the number of births per 1000 individuals.
  • Death rate (d) is the number of deaths per 1000 individuals.
  • Net reproductive rate (Ro) is the average number of offspring per individual.

Population Metrics

  • Doubling time is the time it takes for a population to double in size.

Population Estimation Methods

  • Mark-recapture method is used to estimate population size by marking individuals.
  • Quadrat method involves counting individuals in defined areas.

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