Understanding Populations

A group of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area

• population

• carrying capacity

• density

• dispersion

the number of individuals of the same species that live in a given unit of area

• population

• carrying capacity

• density

• dispersion

the pattern of distribution of organisms in a population.

• population

• carrying capacity

• density

• dispersion

largest population than an environment can support at any given time

• population

• carrying capacity

• density

• dispersion

an expression of the increase in the size of an organism or population over a given period of time

• growth rate

• reproductive potential

• exponential growth

• niche

maximum number of offspring that a given organism can produce

• growth rate

• reproductive potential

• exponential growth

• niche

logarithmic growth (J curve) or growth in which numbers increase by a certain factor in each successive time period

• symbiosis

• reproductive potential

• exponential growth

• niche

the unique position occupied by a species both in terms of its physical use of its habitat and its function within an ecological community.

• growth rate

• reproductive potential

• exponential growth

• niche

the relationship between two species (or individuals) in which both attempt to use the same limited resource such that both are negatively affected by the relationship

• competition

• predation

• parasitism

• mutualism

• commensalism

an interaction between 2 organisms in which one organism, the predator, kills and feeds on the organism, the prey

• competition

• predation

• parasitism

• mutualism

• commensalism