8.3 Population Ecology

• What is the focus of population ecology?

  Populations and their environment
• Match the dispersal pattern with its description:

  Emigration ↔️ Individuals leave the population

  Immigration ↔️ Individuals join the population

  Diffusion ↔️ Spread from high to low density

  Directed movement ↔️ Movement for resources or mating
• The logistic growth model accounts for carrying capacity.


  True
• Arrange the types of population distributions from most clustered to least clustered:

  1️⃣ Clumped

  2️⃣ Random

  3️⃣ Uniform
• Match the density-independent factor with its description:

  Climate ↔️ Weather conditions affecting growth

  Natural Disasters ↔️ Catastrophic events reducing populations

  Pollution ↔️ Chemical contamination of the environment

  Human Interventions ↔️ Alteration of habitat or resources
• What are density-dependent factors in population ecology?

  Factors affected by density
• Density-dependent factors can stabilize population size near carrying capacity.


  True
• Density-independent factors often cause gradual changes in population size.

  False
• Population ecology provides insights into the dynamics and interactions within ecosystems
• What does population distribution refer to?

  Spatial arrangement of individuals
• Clumped distribution occurs when individuals are grouped together in clusters.

  True
• Emigration is a dispersal pattern where individuals leave the population
• What are the two primary population growth models?

  Exponential and logistic
• Understanding population ecology is crucial for conserving natural ecosystems.

  True
• The spatial arrangement of individuals within a population is called population distribution
• What does the exponential growth model assume about resources?

  Unlimited resources
• In the logistic growth equation, $K$ represents the carrying capacity
• What are density-dependent factors influenced by?

  Population density
• Density-independent factors can cause sudden and drastic changes in population size.


  True
• Competition is an example of a density-dependent
• What are density-independent factors in population ecology?

  Factors unaffected by density
• Climate is an example of a density-independent
• What is population ecology defined as?

  Study of populations
• Understanding population ecology is crucial for managing natural ecosystems.

  True
• In a uniform distribution, individuals are evenly spaced
• What are dispersal patterns in population ecology?

  How individuals move within a population
• Diffusion occurs when individuals spread out from high-density to low-density areas.


  True
• Exponential growth assumes unlimited resources
• What does the carrying capacity ($K$) represent in population ecology?


  Maximum sustainable population size
• Match the density-independent factor with its example:

  Climate ↔️ Extreme weather events affecting plant growth

  Natural Disasters ↔️ Destruction of habitat by hurricanes

  Pollution ↔️ Oil spills affecting marine life

  Human Interventions ↔️ Deforestation leading to loss of species
• Life history strategies describe the tradeoffs organisms make between reproduction and survival.


  True
• A Type I survivorship curve is characteristic of organisms with high survival rates until old age
• What is an example of a density-dependent factor that regulates population size?

  Predation
• Density-dependent factors stabilize population size near the carrying capacity of the environment.
• Match the aspect of population ecology with its description:

  Definition ↔️ The study of populations and their environment

  Importance ↔️ Provides insights into ecosystem dynamics

  Factors Influencing Population Size ↔️ Biotic and abiotic factors

  Population Dynamics ↔️ Changes in population size over time
• What is emigration in the context of population dispersal patterns?

  Individuals leave the population
• Dispersal patterns describe how individuals move and spread out within a population
• Understanding dispersal patterns helps ecologists study population dynamics and interactions within ecosystems
• The exponential growth model assumes unlimited resources.


  True
• The logistic growth model accounts for limited resources and carrying capacity.