Population/ Human Population Review

Front

What is a density-dependent factor?

Back

A factor that has an increasing impact on a population as its size increases, such as competition for resources, predation, and disease.

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What is carrying capacity?

Back

The maximum number of individuals that an ecosystem can sustain over the long term without degrading the environment.

Front

What happens when a population exceeds its carrying capacity?

Back

The population will start to die off to return to the carrying capacity due to limited resources.

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What is uniform dispersion?

Back

A pattern of spacing where individuals are evenly distributed in an area, often seen in nesting birds.

Front

What is clumped dispersion?

Back

A pattern of spacing where individuals are grouped together in patches, often due to resource availability.

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What is random dispersion?

Back

A pattern of spacing where individuals are distributed unpredictably, often due to the absence of strong social interactions.

Front

How does a decrease in a primary food source affect a predator population?

Back

The predator population will likely decrease due to lack of food resources.

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

Back

Density-independent factors affect population size regardless of its density (e.g., natural disasters), while density-dependent factors have effects that vary with population density.

Front

What is the cohort effect?

Back

The impact of a specific age group on the population dynamics, often seen in studies of birth and death rates.

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What is survivorship?

Back

The probability of an individual surviving to a certain age, often represented in survivorship curves.