Population Dynamics
An example of a density-independent limiting factor
Temperature, natural disasters, pollution, etc.
The variety of species within an ecosystem is called...
Biodiversity
Gray whales were nearly hunted to extinction by whalers during the 19th and 20th centuries. This is an example of...
Overexploitation
Carrying capacity
The number of individuals of a certain species an ecosystem can support long-term
Organisms that are introduced to a new ecosystem and affect it negatively are called...
Invasive species
An example of a density-dependent limiting factor
Space, food, water, disease, etc.
The variation in genes that code for particular traits within a population is called...
Genetic diversity
Large predators often need multiple square miles of continuous habitat to hunt. These predators would be most threatened by...
...habitat fragmentation
Emigration
An organism leaving a population
If the population of a predator species significantly decreases, what will most likely happen to the population of the species they prey on?
The prey populations will increase
The reproductive strategy in which organisms produce only one or a few offspring at a time, but care for them to increase their chance of survival
k-strategy
Biodiversity in an area increases when...
...new species form (or move in from somewhere else without disrupting other species)
Give two examples of renewable natural resources
Lumber, vegetables, grain, wool, etc.
Mass extinction
An event in which a large percentage of the species in an ecosystem or on Earth go extinct. May be caused by a very large natural disaster or human action
Amount of food, predators, hunting, climate change, etc.
What four things do you have to know to determine the population growth rate of a population?
Birth rate, death rate, immigration, and emigration
Biodiversity in an area decreases when...
...a species goes extinct (within that area)
Eutrophication could occur- the fertilizer can wash into the water and cause an algae bloom, which can then die off and prevent other species from surviving
Background extinction
The ordinary rate of extinctions which occur naturally rather than with human intervention
Name an organism that uses the k-strategy
Ex. humans, cats, horses, etc.
Why doesn't the r-strategy lead to explosive population growth?
Most of the offspring die due to predation, lack of resources, etc.
Genetic diversity is important because...
...the greater variety of traits in a population, the better the population can adapt through natural selection
Herbivorous animals often are not very impacted by environmental pollution. Explain why environmental pollution can still be a problem despite this.
Because of biological magnification- higher trophic level organisms end up eating a lot of pollution in their food.
Eutrophication
The process in which too many nutrients enter a body of water. Lots of algae grow, then die and decompose, resulting in deoxygenation of the water.
How could the introduction of an invasive predator impact the biodiversity of an ecosystem?
The biodiversity could be decreased if the predator is able to prey on many different species.