Population Ecology - APES

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What is a keystone species?

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A keystone species is a species that has a disproportionately large effect on its environment relative to its abundance. Its presence or absence can significantly impact the structure of the ecosystem.

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What is emigration in population ecology?

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Emigration is the process by which individuals leave a population, leading to a decrease in population size.

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How do you calculate population density?

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Population density is calculated by dividing the number of individuals in a population by the area they occupy.

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What are pioneer species?

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Pioneer species are the first organisms to colonize previously uninhabited or disturbed environments, such as lichens and mosses.

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What does exponential growth in a population indicate?

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Exponential growth occurs when a population increases rapidly in size, typically when resources are abundant and environmental conditions are favorable.

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What is carrying capacity?

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Carrying capacity is the maximum number of individuals of a particular species that an environment can sustainably support.

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What are limiting factors in population ecology?

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Limiting factors are environmental conditions that restrict the growth, abundance, or distribution of a population.

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What is immigration in population ecology?

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Immigration is the process by which individuals enter a population, leading to an increase in population size.

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What is logistic growth?

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

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

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