AP Biology Topic 8.3 and 8.4 Population Ecology

Front

What is carrying capacity (K)?

Back

The maximum population size that an environment can sustain indefinitely without being degraded.

Front

What happens to the growth rate as population size approaches carrying capacity?

Back

The growth rate slows down.

Front

What does dN/dt represent in population ecology?

Back

The change in population size over time.

Front

How do density dependent factors affect growth rate?

Back

As population size increases, growth rate decreases.

Front

What is a survivorship curve?

Back

A graph that represents the number of individuals surviving at each age for a given species.

Front

Which survivorship curve indicates high parental investment?

Back

Curve C, which shows low mortality in early life stages.

Front

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

Back

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

Front

What is the logistic growth model?

Back

A model that describes population growth that levels off as it approaches carrying capacity.

Front

What is exponential growth?

Back

A growth pattern where the population increases rapidly without any limits, typically represented by a J-shaped curve.

Front

What is the significance of the inflection point in a logistic growth curve?

Back

It is the point where the population growth rate changes from increasing to decreasing.