Population Review Flashcard

Front

What is a limiting factor in a population?

Back

A limiting factor is a condition that restricts the growth, abundance, or distribution of a population within an ecosystem.

Front

Which limiting factor increases due to the number of individuals in a population?

Back

Disease.

Front

What are biotic factors?

Back

Biotic factors are the living components of an environment, such as plants, animals, and microorganisms.

Front

What are abiotic factors?

Back

Abiotic factors are the non-living physical and chemical elements in the environment, such as sunlight, temperature, and water.

Front

What is carrying capacity?

Back

Carrying capacity is the maximum number of individuals that an ecosystem can sustainably support over time.

Front

Define a population in ecological terms.

Back

A population is a group of organisms of the same species that live in the same area at the same time.

Front

What does exponential growth in a population graph indicate?

Back

Exponential growth indicates that the population size increases rapidly over time, often when resources are abundant.

Front

What is logistic growth?

Back

Logistic growth is a model of population growth that shows how a population grows rapidly initially and then levels off as it reaches the carrying capacity.

Front

What is the difference between density-dependent and density-independent factors?

Back

Density-dependent factors are influenced by the population density (e.g., disease, competition), while density-independent factors affect populations regardless of their density (e.g., natural disasters).

Front

What role do predators play in population dynamics?

Back

Predators help control the population size of prey species, maintaining a balance in the ecosystem.