Populations
A single pair of elephants could produce how many descendants within 750 years?
19 million
What is the change in the size of a population over a given period of time?
growth rate
Give two examples of reproductive potential
19 million elephants in 750 years and 19 million bacterium in a few days/weeks
Exponential growth occurs in nature only when....
populations have plenty of food and space, having no competition or predators
A species reaches its carrying capacity when it consumes a particular natural resource at the same rate at which the ecosystem produces the resources is known as what?
limiting resource
All the members of a species living in the same place at the same time is known as what?
population
How many eggs can a sea turtle lay in her lifetime?
2000
Describe three ways reproductive potential increases
when individuals produce more offspring at a time, reproduce more often, and reproduce earlier in life
Why can populations not grow forever and rarely grow at their reproductive potential?
Because natural conditions are neither ideal nor constant.
Plant growth is limited by what 3 things?
water, sunlight and mineral nutrients
How can populations be considered reproductive groups?
because organisms usually breed with members of their own population
Why would a sea turtles eggs not all hatch?
Uncontrollable factors
True or false - reproducing early lengthens the generation time or the average time it takes a member of the population to reach the age when it reproduces.
false
What happens under natural selection?
only the strong survive
What increases when a population begins to reach its carrying capacity and resources become limited?
competition
What 3 ways can populations be described?
terms of size, density, dispersion
What is the fastest rate at which its population can grow?
species biotic potential
How old are small organisms such as bacteria and insects when they are able to reproduce?
few hours or days old
The maximum population that the ecosystem can support indefinitely is known as...
carrying capacity
What is dependent population regulation?
regulation that happens when individuals of a population are densely packed together and limited resources, predation and disease cause higher death rates
What is the relative distribution or arrangement of its individuals within a given amount of space?
dispersion
What is the maximum number of offspring that each member of the population can produce is known as what?
reproductive potential
Define exponential growth
populations that grow faster and faster
Carrying capacity can be extended if more what are discovered?
resource
Certain portion of a population may die regardless of the population's density, affects all populations in a general or uniform way. Give an example.
Independent population regulation
Example: natural disaster