Population

• What is a population in ecological terms?

  A group of similar species in a place
• What does the term 'size' refer to in a population?

  The number of individuals in a population
• How can the size of a population be stated?

  By kind, place, time, and number
• What does natality refer to in population studies?

  Number of species that are born
• What does mortality refer to in population studies?

  Number of species that die
• What factors contribute to the size of a population?

  Emigration and immigration
• What does emigration refer to?

  Number of species that leave the land
• What does immigration refer to?

  Number of species that enter the land
• What does population density describe?

  Number of individuals in a particular area
• What factors affect population density?

  Available space, predators, food, water
• What does distribution refer to in a population?

  Arrangement of individuals in a particular space
• How can organisms be distributed in an area?

  Evenly, randomly, or clustered together
• What factors affect population growth?

  Natality, mortality, emigration, immigration
• What is the relationship between mortality and natality?

  Mortality opposes the birth rate
• What does biotic potential refer to?

  Number of offspring if all survive
• What factors influence biotic potential?

  Number, frequency, and lifespan of offspring
• How do ideal environmental conditions affect biotic potential?

  They can increase the biotic potential
• What is environmental resistance?

  Factors that limit biotic potential
• What does environmental resistance result in?

  Increased mortality and decreased natality
• What types of factors are included in environmental resistance?

  Abiotic and biotic factors
• What is carrying capacity?

  Number of individuals the environment can support
• What does a limiting factor do?

  Slows down or stops population growth
• What are density-dependent limiting factors?

  Factors associated with living things
• What are density-independent limiting factors?

  Abiotic factors influencing the population