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Fluctuations in Population Sizes

This document discusses key concepts for studying population ecology, including: 1. Population characteristics like geographic distribution, density, growth rate, and age structure. Density is measured as the number of individuals per unit area. 2. Population growth is affected by birth rate, mortality rate, and immigration and emigration. Exponential growth occurs when resources are abundant while logistic growth levels off as carrying capacity is reached. 3. Limiting factors like density-dependent factors (space, predation, disease) and density-independent factors (temperature, disasters, human activity) regulate population growth.

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33 views

Fluctuations in Population Sizes

This document discusses key concepts for studying population ecology, including: 1. Population characteristics like geographic distribution, density, growth rate, and age structure. Density is measured as the number of individuals per unit area. 2. Population growth is affected by birth rate, mortality rate, and immigration and emigration. Exponential growth occurs when resources are abundant while logistic growth levels off as carrying capacity is reached. 3. Limiting factors like density-dependent factors (space, predation, disease) and density-independent factors (temperature, disasters, human activity) regulate population growth.

Uploaded by

[email protected]
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Fluctuations In

Population Sizes

How do ecologists
study populations?
Vocabulary
• Population density
• Immigration
• Emigration
• Exponential growth
• Logistic growth
• Carrying capacity
Characteristics of a population
1. Geographic
Distribution
2. Density
3. Growth Rate
4. Age Structure
Geographic distribution
• Organisms need
space.
• They move through
seasonal cycles.
• Range of animal’s
habitat can be very
large or very small.
Density
• Number of individuals per unit
area.
• Varies depending upon the species
and it’s habitat.

Population Density=
number of individuals ÷
unit area

• What is the population density of


our classroom?
Population growth
Affected by:
2. # of births: birth rate
3. # of deaths:
mortality rate
4. # of individuals that
leave or enter the
population:
immigration and
emigration
Movement of individuals
• Immigration: when
individuals move into
an area.
• Emigration: when
individuals move out
of an area.
• Both affect the size of
the population.
Exponential growth
• When a population
has abundant space
and food.
• Disease and predator
free.
• Population size
increases.
Logistic Population growth
• Most populations do not
grow exponentially for a
long time.
• After a period of such
growth, environmental
resistance limits further
growth- carrying capacity
is reached.
• Most populations show
an S-shaped curve.
Limits to growth
• Limiting factors- factors that
causes population size to
decrease.
• See figure 5-5 (p. 124)
• What is the difference
between density-dependent
and density-independent
limiting factors? Use your
textbook to list 3 examples of
each.
Density-Dependent Factors
• Factors that limit
population growth.
• Factors whose effect
depends upon numbers.
• Space- limited to a certain
number.
• Predation- predators hunt
abundant species.
• Disease- rabies
Density- Independent Factors

• Freezing temperatures
• Sensitivity to cold or hot
• Natural disasters
• Human activity

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