Population Ecology
Major Terrestrial Biomes
Tropical Forest
Savanna
Desert
Chaparral
Temperate Grassland
Northern Coniferous Forest
Temperate Broadleaf Forest
Tundra
Major Aquatic Biomes
Wetlands and Estuaries
Lakes
Streams and Rivers
Intertidal Zones
Coral Reefs
Oceanic Pelagic Zone
Marine Benthic Zone
Animals and their interactions with their environment
Habitat- A habitat is all the biotic and abiotic characteristics in an area where an animal lives
Each organism has its own Niche
-A niche is what you eat, the land you take up, and how you live
-If another organism has the same niche then they are competition for each other
-Most organisms in the same ecosystem develop a slightly different niche to avoid competition
-Interspecific competition- When different species compete
-Intraspecific competition- When members of the same species are competing
Growth Rate
Growth rate = Birth rate - Death rate
r = b - d
Things that affect biotic potential
-The age at which the organism first reproduces
-The frequency at which reproduction occurs
-The average number of offspring produced each time the organism reproduces
-The length of the organism's reproductive life span
-The death rate of the individuals under ideal conditions
Boom and bust populations - have as many offspring as possible and then die out every season
-Flies and most insects
Logistic growth - Grow to the maximum level the environment can handle and then stabilize
Carrying capacity
-Each ecosystem has a carrying capacity for each of its organisms
-The carrying capacity is how large of a population that ecosystem can support
-K stands for carrying capacity
-A J-Curve represents exponential growth
-An S-Curve is when exponential growth evens out with its carrying capacity
-An S-Curve represents logistic growth
Predators and Prey affect each others carrying capacity
Human Population Growth
Environmental Resistance
-Density-independent - factors that limit population size regardless of the population density
-Density-dependent - Population is controlled once it reaches its carrying capacity
Diversity and Populations