Chapter 40: Population Ecology and Intro to Eco

Front

What is population ecology?

Back

The study of how populations interact with their environment and how factors like competition, predation, and resource availability affect population dynamics.

Front

What is carrying capacity?

Back

The maximum number of individuals of a species that an environment can sustainably support.

Front

Define density-dependent factors.

Back

Factors that affect population size in relation to the population's density, such as food availability, predation, and disease.

Front

Define density-independent factors.

Back

Factors that affect population size regardless of the population's density, such as natural disasters and climate.

Front

What is competition in ecology?

Back

The struggle between organisms for the same resources in an ecosystem, which can limit population sizes.

Front

What is a biome?

Back

A large ecological area on the Earth's surface with distinct plant and animal groups adapted to the environment.

Front

What characterizes the taiga biome?

Back

Very cold winters, short growing season, and coniferous forests.

Front

What is uniform dispersion?

Back

A pattern of spacing in which individuals are evenly distributed across an area.

Front

What is clumped dispersion?

Back

A pattern of spacing where individuals are grouped together in patches.

Front

What is random dispersion?

Back

A pattern of spacing where individuals are distributed unpredictably in an area.