AP Biology Ecology Topic 2- Population Dynamics
Instructions:
Topic Presentation:
Textbook Reading:
Supplementary Resources:
Crashcourse Biology Videos:
Questions to answer:
Things you should make sure you understand:
Instructions:
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Open the presentation.
Interact with it.
Answer the “Questions to answer”.
Make sure you understand the “Things you should make sure you understand” (hint: formative
assessment to follow in class)
Feel free to view the “Supplementary Resources”.
Write down any questions that you have about the material.
Topic Presentation:
click here
Textbook Reading:
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Chapter 53 (whole chapter)
Listen and Look:
Here is a list of key terms and concepts you will hear about and see during these podcasts and
chapter readings. Get to know them! Be able to connect them to one another using a concept map.
r-selection
Carrying capacity
Logistic growth
Negative feedback
K-selection
Boom and bust
Exponential growth
Demographics
Population
Population dispersion
Density-dependent
factors
Population density
Survivorship curve
Density-independent
factors
Age structure diagram
Supplementary Resources:
Crashcourse Biology Videos:
The History of Life on Earth - Crash Course Ecology #1
Population Ecology: The Texas Mosquito Mystery - Crash Course Ecology #2
Human Population Growth - Crash Course Ecology #3
10. Using a graphic organizer, describe the
characteristics of populations that exhibit
Type I, Type II, and Type III survivorship
curves.
11. Choose an organism. Explain how the
environment influences an organism’s life
1. Explain why there is less species diversity
history strategy.
at the Earth’s equator and poles than there is
12. Create a chart that compares and
at latitudes above and below the equator.
contrasts the biological, economic and social
Describe the factors that contribute to the
issues faced by the following populations:
richness of biodiversity at the latitudes above
Questions to answer in your
ISN:
and below the equator.
2. Explain the difference between population
density and population dispersion. Describe
how the three different patterns of
population dispersion can act as adaptations
for a population’s survival in an environment.
3. Explain how limiting factors in a population
lead to natural selection.
4. Describe at least two conditions that might
cause a population to undergo exponential
growth.
5. Examine Figure 1. Predict where a line that
represents a population growth with an
exponential value of 1.5 would go.
6. Describe the limiting factors that prevent
many populations from reaching their
carrying capacities.
7. Using Figure 2, explain why a sigmoid (Sshaped) curve is generated by the logistic
model of population growth.
8. Using Figure 3, explain the pattern of
population growth represented in the graph.
9. Draw a series of illustrations that explains
the difference between density-dependent
and density-independent limiting factors.
Explain which of the two have the greatest
immediate impact on a population.
a. Third world rapidly growing populations
b. First world slowly growing populations
c. First world rapidly aging populations
Things you should make sure you understand (we will
address most of these in class):
(feel free to ask questions about them in class)
● How to use the exponential and logarithmic models of population growth.
● How to estimate population size using mark-recapture and quadrat sampling methods.
● Examples of organisms that demonstrate the modes of distribution, survivorship, and
reproductive strategies discussed in this presentation.
● Examples of each of the density-dependent factors discussed in this presentation.
● How the historical growth of the human population has contributed to all anthropogenic
ecological crises currently manifested in the functioning of the global ecological system.
● How the current dynamics of the human population may affect the continuing function of the
global ecological, economic, and human-social systems.