Properties of a Population Review

Front

What is a population in ecological terms?

Back

A group of one species in one area.

Front

What is uniform dispersion?

Back

A pattern where individuals are evenly spaced in an area.

Front

What is random dispersion?

Back

A pattern where individuals are spread out without a predictable pattern.

Front

What is clumped dispersion?

Back

A pattern where individuals are grouped together in patches.

Front

Why do scientists use sampling techniques to gather population data?

Back

It is not possible to count an entire population.

Front

How do you estimate a population size using the capture-recapture method?

Back

First Sample X Second Sample / # recaptured.

Front

If you capture 12 goats and later recapture 8 with 5 tagged, how do you estimate the population?

Back

Use the formula: (12 * 8) / 5 = 19.

Front

What is the importance of tagging animals in population studies?

Back

Tagging allows researchers to track and estimate population sizes.

Front

What is the difference between biotic and abiotic factors in a population?

Back

Biotic factors are living components, while abiotic factors are non-living components.

Front

What is the significance of population density?

Back

Population density indicates how crowded a population is in a given area.