Unit 10 Ecological Natural Dynamics Study Guide
Name _____________________________
Vocabulary to know:
Carrying capacity: The maximum population size
Population A group of organisms of a single
that a particular environment can support
without habitat degradation.
species living within a certain area.
Competition/Predation: an interaction in which one
organism eats another
Density Dependent Factor: a factor that limits
population growth more as the population density
increases
– Ex: food, disease that spreads by
contact
Population Density # of individuals of a particular
species per unit area
Succession/primary and secondary Primary succession –
community arises in lifeless area without soil
•
Ex: volcano creating new
island
Secondary succession – community arises in disturbed
area with soil
Exponential Growth population multiplies by a
constant factor at constant time intervals
– there are few factors that stop
overall growth
– Also known as J-curve
•
Ex: growth in plowed farm
field
Symbiosis a close relationship between species in which
one of the species lives in or on the other
Parasitism – the parasite obtains food at the expense of
•
Limiting factor a condition that can limit
population growth
– Ex: space, food, disease
the other organism (host)
Mutualism – both organisms benefit
Commensalism – one organisms benefits and the other
Niche each organism’s unique living arrangement,
such as habitat, food, time when active, etc
Population Graphs
is neither helped nor harmed
What type of graph is shown? ___J-
Curve_________________What does it mean to say it
is exponential growth? population multiplies by a
constant factor at constant time intervals there
are few factors that stop overall growth.What are
a few factors that would limit growth? Density
dependent and Density independent factors
What type of graph is shown? __SCurve__________________
What range of amounts of yeast represent exponential
growth? 1.5-6
At what amount is the birth rate = death rate?6.7
A
What environmental factors may have acted to
decelerate (slow) growth? Space, food resource,
disease
The line marked A is showing a yeast population
grown at the same time but not in the same
environment. How are the graphs the same?
a. both are S-Curves
b. both have an exponential growth and then
reaches carrying capacity. A
What may have cause the
the same way?
yeast to not grow in
a. density independent factors b. dependent factors
What comparison is this graph
making? Population Density
What predictions can you make
about Mexico’s population from this
graph?
a. population density is greatest in
the younger population.
b. it is beyond the carrying capacity
c. High mortality rate
A Hawaiian volcano just erupted. It was part of the National Park system. In the table below list the succession
of the park. Identify the types of species that would appear at each stage.
One year after eruption
3 years after eruption
Secondary Succession
5 years after eruption
Climax Community
grasses
herbivors
grasshoppers
Carnivores
caterpillars
Saplings
snails
Bushes
zooplankton
flowers
Primary Succession
Pioneer Species
Producers
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insects
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How would the species change from 5 years after to 20 years after the eruption? What could limit the rate of
succession at any stage? It could level off and may eventually decline. Density Dependent and
Independent factors