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03 General ecology lecture three (Population interaction)

Landscape ecology

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daniel
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7 views

03 General ecology lecture three (Population interaction)

Landscape ecology

Uploaded by

daniel
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Populations

 A population is a group of organisms of the same


species occupying a particular space at a particular time
◦ Each population is independent in its occurrence and can form
a part of community
 Population ecology is the study of the distribution and
abundance of a population and the factors governing
such distributions

 Studying population ecology offers a clue on

* Saving endangered species


* Controlling pest populations
* Managing fish and wildlife
* Understanding urbanization and its effects
on biodiversity
Population characteristics
Characters of a population
include
◦ Distributions
◦ Pattern of spacing between
individuals
◦ Density
◦ Age distribution
◦ Birth and death rate
◦ Immigration and Emigration
◦ Rate of growth
Population density and
dispersion
 Distributionis the full geographic and ecological range
inhabited by members of a species over their life time
◦ Migratory birds (wintering and breeding ground)
◦ The physical environment limits the distribution of species and
hence populations
 Distribution is a function of two factors
◦ Distribution of habitats whose biotic and abiotic conditions are
suitable for survival
◦ The ability of organisms to disperse into suitable habitats
 The distribution pattern at a smaller scale is called
Dispersion
◦ Even dispersion, clumped dispersion and random dispersion
Population density and
dispersion
 Types of dispersion in stingless bee
◦ Under random distribution of resources
 Aggressive and non- aggressive species were randomly distributed
◦ Under clumped distribution of resources
 Aggressive species have clumped distribution while non aggressive ones are
randomly distributed
 Pattern of distribution in desert creosote
◦ Shrub community become clumped at the beginning
 Seeds can’t disperse far from plant
 Seeds only germinate in limited good sites
 Asexual reproduction
◦ The dispersion pattern change into random dispersion
 Following the random distribution of seeds
◦ Finally the dispersion pattern change into even distribution
 Following the even distribution of resources
 Dispersion pattern can also considered as a measure of density
◦ Varying density in clumped and random dispersion
◦ Even density in even/regular dispersion
 Hot spot ; is a particular area where there is high density of
population
Population dynamics
 Population growth/decline
◦ Populations are changing (dynamic)
◦ Mechanisms that change population
 Birth, Death, Immigration, Emigration
 B + I = D+E (Stable population)
 B+I > D+E (Increasing population)
 B+I < D+E (Decreasing population)
◦ The population size at a particular time is given
by
 Nt+1 = Nt + B + I - D – E

◦ Can this equation explain what affects the


number of births? What causes death?
Why do organisms migrate?
Population dynamics
 Ecologists looks at age structure
in populations to determine
◦ Life table
◦ Survivorship curve
◦ Population pyramids
 Natality, Fecundity and Mortality
 Natality (birth rate); the actual number of
new offspring produced per female or per
reproductive individual per unit time
 Fecundity; the capability or potential of
female or reproductive individuals to
produce offspring
 Measured by the number of eggs produced by
the female
 Mortality; death of organisms
 Pattern of mortality used to construct
survivorship curve
Life tables and survivorship
curve
Life table
◦ Spread sheet biologist use to keep
track of information on birth and
death
◦ There are two types of life tables
 Cohort life table
 Based on following organisms from birth to
death
 Static life table
 Based on one time information on birth and
deaths
 Simple assumptions
Basic reproductive rate (Ro) =

Generation time (Tc) =


Life table and survivorship
curve
Survivorship curve
◦ Shows pattern of mortality along
time
Small
juvenile
mortality

High
Constant
juvenile
mortality
mortality
Reproductive rate and
population growth
Per capita rate of increase
◦ The average increase/decrease in a
population
◦ Given by
 r = lnRo/T
◦ rmax is a theoretical upper limit to birth
rate and rmin is a lower limit to death rate
◦ r is always less than rmax
◦ The value of r determines the extent of
population growth
Population growth models
Geometric growth model
◦ The population growth geometrically
◦ The average number of offsprings is constant
over time
◦ Occurs in species with non-overlapping
generations e.g. Annual plants
◦ The population size at a given time is given by
Population growth models
 Exponential growth model
◦ Population grow exponentially
◦ Occurs in species with overlapping
generations
◦ It is given by
 The rate of change is given by
 The larger the population, the faster it
grows
◦ In nature, exponential growth
occurs
 When population become established in
new, favorable environments
 During transient times of high resource
exploitation
 During recovery following some kind of
exploitation
◦ Can populations indefinitely grow
exponentially?
Population growth models
Logistic growth model
◦ Carrying capacity ; the maximum
number of individuals supported by
the environment
◦ The logistic model incorporate Density
dependent
environmental resistance (carrying
regulation
capacity)
 dN/dt = rmax N(1 – N/K) where N/K is
environmental resistance
Environment, Physiology and
Population dynamics
 Density dependent/independent
population regulation
◦ As a population growth (N ~K)
 Competition within population increases
 This factor is called Density dependent factor
 Population growth can also decline as a result of
climatic factors like temperature
 This is called Density independent factor
 Environment regulates population by
selecting organisms through there
carrying capacity (K) and reproductive
rate (r)
 There are two broad types of
environmental regulation
 Non – equilibrial (r- selecting)
environment
 K changes dramatically
 Habitat vary unpredictably
 Equilibrial (K – selecting) environment
 K stays constant
 Habitat variability is small and
Characteristics Equilibrial strategy Non-equilibrial
(K – selected) strategy (r –
selected)
Major selection Be competitive at Producing many
pressure high population offsprings
density

Reproductive Relatively few, high As many offsprings


strategy quality offsprings as possible
Allocation pattern Allocate to factors Allocate to offspring
affecting offspring number
quality

Homeostasis Regulators Conformers


Body size Large Small
Life span Long Short
Offspring body size Large Small

Fecundity Low High


Parental care Significant None
rmax Low high
Population Density dependent Density
Population structure
Age structure
◦ Distribution of individuals among age classes
 Divided into pre-reproductive, reproductive and
post-reproductive classes
◦ Population pyramids show the distribution of
the three classes
Biogeography: the link between
physical and biological sphere

How does the physical environment set limits to species


distribution ranges?
Biogeography: the link between
physical and biological sphere
Isphysical factor the only factor
determining the distribution of
species?
◦ Why does two geographic locations
with similar climate features have
different species composition?
◦ Biotic interaction (i.e.
competion) between species also
determine the survival of
species

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