Unit 3 Populations

Ch. 8 Understanding Populations

Essential Question
How are population sizes are regulated by nature.

What is a population?
All the members of the same species living in the same area at the same time Refers to a reproductive group in general Refers to number of individuals in group

Properties of populations
Populations described in three ways Size - # of individuals Density - # of individuals per unit of area or volume Dispersion distribution or arrangement of individuals within a space (even, clumped, random) Properties can be used to predict changes within pop

Population Growth
Growth rate change in size of pop over an amount of time Growth rate = births deaths Can be positive, negative or zero

How fast can pop grow?

Populations usually stay the same due to environmental factors that kill offspring before they are old enough to reproduce Reproductive potential max # of offspring an individual can produce Different for different species The earlier a species reproduces the higher the reproductive potential Exponential Growth pop grows faster and faster with each generation Only occurs when there is plenty of food and space and little competition or predation

What limits population growth?

Populations rarely grow to their potential why? Limited resources, natural selection, environmental changes Carrying capacity maximum size of a population that an ecosystem can support indefinitely Limiting resource resource produced by ecosystem that is needed for survival Competition among individuals for food and space

Population regulation causes of death

Density dependent deaths occur more quickly in a crowded population
Limited resources, disease, predation

Density independent death occurs regardless of the density

Severe weather, natural disasters

Closure
How is a population of deer regulated by nature?

Essential Question
Describe the 5 major types of interactions between species.

An organisms niche
Niche the unique role of a species within an ecosystem, job Includes:
Physical home Interactions with other species Env factors necessary for survival Pattern of use of habitat (location)

Sometimes niches overlap with other species creating competition for resources

Ways in which species interact

Competition different individuals attempt to use same resource harms both Predation organism feeds on another
Predator benefits, prey is harmed
Indirect species dont come in contact with each other but use the same resource

Parasitism an organism that lives in or on another organism and feeds on that organism
Parasite benefits, host is harmed

 Mutualism relationship in which both species provide a benefit to the other (bacteria in stomach, ants in acaicia tree) Commensalism one species benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed (barnacles on a whale)

Symbiosis
Relationship in which two species live closely together Species may coevolve birds and pollinators