Population Ecology

Front

What is Population Ecology?

Back

The study of how populations of organisms interact with their environment and each other, including factors that affect population size and distribution.

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What are abiotic factors?

Back

Nonliving components of an ecosystem that affect living organisms, such as temperature, water, sunlight, soil, and nutrients.

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What are biotic factors?

Back

Living components of an ecosystem that affect other living organisms, including plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms.

Front

Define carrying capacity (K).

Back

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

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What is a habitat?

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The specific place or environment where an organism lives, including all biotic and abiotic factors.

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What is the difference between population and community?

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A population is a group of individuals of the same species living in a specific area, while a community is made up of different populations of various species interacting in a given area.

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What is dispersal in ecology?

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The movement of individuals from their birthplace to their breeding locations, which can affect population dynamics.

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What is the significance of the lag phase in population growth?

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The initial period where the population size is small and growth is slow as individuals acclimate to their environment.

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What is the log phase in population growth?

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The phase where the population grows exponentially due to abundant resources and favorable conditions.

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What is the stationary phase in population growth?

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The phase where the population size stabilizes as resources become limited and birth rates equal death rates.