Front

What is a density-dependent factor?

Back

A factor that has an increasing impact on a population as its size increases, such as competition for resources, predation, and disease.

Front

What is carrying capacity?

Back

The maximum number of individuals that an ecosystem can sustain over the long term without degrading the environment.

Front

What happens when a population exceeds its carrying capacity?

Back

The population will start to die off to return to the carrying capacity due to limited resources.

Front

What is uniform dispersion?

Back

A pattern of spacing where individuals are evenly distributed in an area, often seen in nesting birds.

Front

What is clumped dispersion?

Back

A pattern of spacing where individuals are grouped together in patches, often due to resource availability.

Front

What is random dispersion?

Back

A pattern of spacing where individuals are distributed unpredictably, often due to the absence of strong social interactions.

Front

How does a decrease in a primary food source affect a predator population?

Back

The predator population will likely decrease due to lack of food resources.

Front

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

Back

Density-independent factors affect population size regardless of its density (e.g., natural disasters), while density-dependent factors have effects that vary with population density.

Front

What is the cohort effect?

Back

The impact of a specific age group on the population dynamics, often seen in studies of birth and death rates.

Front

What is survivorship?

Back

The probability of an individual surviving to a certain age, often represented in survivorship curves.