Population Ecology
Population Growth
Population
=?
Group of organisms of the same species
living in the same place
Population Growth
=?
more survive than die
What are GOOD conditions for
population growth ?
Enough food
Enough water
Enough space
Not too much disease
Not too many (efficient) predators
No serious natural disasters (examples?)
Patterns of Population Growth
Grows quickly at first, then
reaches a plateau
Exponential, logistic, plateau
Carrying Capacity
= Maximum number of individuals of one
species that a habitat can support
Predator curve follows prey curve
in time
N1 = prey curve goes up/down first
N2 = predator curve goes up/down next
Fluctuations in Populations