Population Ecology Review

Front

What is population ecology?

Back

The study of how populations interact with their environment and how factors affect population size and distribution.

Front

What is a density-dependent factor?

Back

A factor that affects population size in relation to the population's density, such as competition, predation, and disease.

Front

What is a density-independent factor?

Back

A factor that affects population size regardless of the population's density, such as natural disasters like hurricanes.

Front

What is exponential growth in a population?

Back

A growth pattern where the population size increases rapidly over time, typically when resources are abundant.

Front

What is logistic growth in a population?

Back

A growth pattern that starts exponentially but slows as the population reaches carrying capacity due to limited resources.

Front

What is carrying capacity?

Back

The maximum number of individuals of a species that an environment can sustainably support.

Front

What is a K-selected species?

Back

A species that produces few offspring, has a long lifespan, and provides parental care, such as elephants.

Front

What is an R-selected species?

Back

A species that produces many offspring, has a short lifespan, and provides little to no parental care, such as many insects.

Front

What is emigration?

Back

The process of individuals moving out of a population, which can lead to a decrease in population size.

Front

What is immigration?

Back

The process of individuals moving into a population, which can lead to an increase in population size.