AP Bio Population Ecology

Front

What is population ecology?

Back

Population ecology is the study of how populations of organisms interact with their environment and how they change over time.

Front

Define carrying capacity (K).

Back

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

Front

What does the mark-recapture method estimate?

Back

The mark-recapture method estimates the size of a wildlife population by capturing individuals, marking them, releasing them, and then recapturing to see how many marked individuals are in the second sample.

Front

What is the formula for calculating population growth?

Back

The formula for population growth is: Growth = rN(1 - N/K), where r is the growth rate, N is the current population size, and K is the carrying capacity.

Front

What does a growth rate (r) of 1.1 indicate?

Back

A growth rate (r) of 1.1 indicates that the population is growing at a rate of 110% per time period.

Front

What is zero population growth?

Back

Zero population growth occurs when the number of births plus immigration equals the number of deaths plus emigration, resulting in a stable population size.

Front

How does a parasite affect population density?

Back

A parasite typically decreases the population density of its host species by causing disease or death.

Front

What is the significance of the logistic growth model?

Back

The logistic growth model describes how a population grows rapidly at first and then slows as it approaches the carrying capacity of its environment.

Front

What factors can limit population growth?

Back

Factors that can limit population growth include food availability, predation, disease, and competition for resources.

Front

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

Back

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