organism
biosphere
Population Ecology
AP Biology
Why Population Ecology?
Scientific goal
understanding the factors that influence the
size of populations
general principles
specific cases
Practical goal
management of populations
increase population size
endangered species
decrease population size
pests
maintain population size
fisheries management
AP Biology
maintain & maximize sustained yield
Life takes place in populations
Population
AP Biology
group of individuals of same species in
same area at same time
Factors that affect Population Size
Abiotic factors
sunlight & temperature
precipitation / water
soil / nutrients
Biotic factors
other living organisms
prey (food)
competitors
predators, parasites,
disease
Intrinsic factors
AP Biology
adaptations
Characterizing a Population
Describing a population
population range
pattern of Dispersion
Density of population
#individuals per unit area
AP Biology
1970
1966
1964
1960
1965
1961
Equator
1958
1951
1943
1937
1956
1970
Immigration
from Africa
~1900
Population Range
Geographical limitations
abiotic & biotic factors
temperature, rainfall, food, predators, etc.
AP Biology
habitat
Population Dispersion
AP Biology
Population Size
Changes to
population size
can occur by:
AP Biology
Population Growth Rates
Factors affecting population growth rate
sex ratio
how many females vs. males?
generation time
at what age do females reproduce?
age structure
#females at reproductive age in cohort?
AP Biology
Why do teenage boys pay high car insurance rates?
Demography
Study of a populations vital statistics and
how they change over time
Life tables, Age Structure Diagrams and Survivorship Graphs
Life table
table
Life
females
AP Biology
males
What adaptations have
led to this difference
in male vs. female
mortality?
Age structure
Relative number of individuals of each age
What do these data imply about population growth
in these countries?
AP Biology
Survivorship curves
Graphic representation of life table
The
The relatively
relatively straight
straight lines
lines of
of the
the plots
plots indicate
indicate relatively
relatively constant
constant
rates
rates of
of death;
death; however,
however, males
males have
have aa lower
lower survival
survival rate
rate overall
overall
than
than females.
females.
Belding ground squirrel
AP Biology
Survivorship curves
Generalized strategies
Survival per thousand
1000
Human
(type I)
Hydra
(type II)
100
1
0
AP Biology
25
I. High death rate in
in
post-reproductive
years
II. Constant mortality
rate throughout life
life
span
Oyster
(type III)
10
What do these graphs
tell about survival &
strategy of a species?
species?
50
75
Percent of maximum life span
100
III.
III. Very high early
mortality but the
few survivors then
live long (stay
reproductive)
Trade-offs: survival vs. reproduction
The cost of reproduction
To increase reproduction may decrease survival:
(think about)
age at first reproduction
investment per offspring
number of reproductive cycles per lifetime
parents not equally invested
offspring mutations
Life History determined by costs
and benefits of all adaptations.
AP Biology
Natural selection
favors a life history
that maximizes
lifetime
reproductive
success
Reproductive strategies
K-selected
late reproduction
few offspring
invest a lot in raising offspring
primates
coconut
r-selected
K-selected
early reproduction
many offspring
little parental care
insects
many plants
AP Biology
r-selected
Trade offs
Number & size of offspring
vs.
Survival of offspring or parent
r-selected
K-selected
Of course, long before you mature,
AP Biology
most of you will be eaten.
Survivorship Curves with Reproductive Strategy
K-selection
Survival per thousand
1000
Human
(type I)
Hydra
(type II)
100
Oyster
(type III)
10
r-selection
1
0
25
50
75
Percent of maximum life span
AP Biology
100
Population Growth Rate Models
Exponential growth
Rapid growth
No constraints
Logistic growth
Environmental constraints
Limited growth
AP Biology
Population Growth Math
Change in population = Births Deaths
Per capita birth rate = b
Per capita death rate = d
# of individuals = N
Rate of population growth (r) = b d
Survivorship = % surviving
Ex: If there are 50 deer in a population, 13 die and 27 are born the next
month. What is the population size the following month?
(Answer: 27-13 = 14, so new population is 64)
Ex: What is the birth rate for the deer? #Births/N = b
Answer: 27/50 = .54
Death rate (d) = 13/50 = .26
Ex: What is the rate of growth for the deer? r = .54 -.26 = .28
AP Biology
Exponential Growth (ideal conditions)
No environmental barriers
Growth is at maximum rate
dN/dt = rmaxN
N = # individuals
Rmax = growth rate
AP Biology
Exponential Growth
Characteristic of populations without
limiting factors
introduced to a new environment or rebounding
from a catastrophe
Whooping crane
coming back from near extinction
AP Biology
African elephant
protected from hunting
Logistic rate of growth
Can populations continue to grow
exponentially? Of course not!
no
no natural
natural controls
controls
K=
carrying
capacity
What happens as
N approaches K?
AP Biology
effect
effect of
of
natural
natural controls
controls
Logistic Growth Equation
dN/dt = rmaxN(K-N)/K
K = carrying capacity of population
Ex: If a population has a carrying capacity of 900 and the rmax
is 1, what is the population growth when the population is
435? 1 x 435 (900-435)/900 = 224
What if the population is at 850?
What if it is at 1010?
Explain the results of each problem.
AP Biology
varies with
changes in
resources
Whats going
on with the
plankton?
AP Biology
Number of breeding male
fur seals (thousands)
population size
that environment
can support with
no degradation
of habitat
Number of cladocerans
(per 200 ml)
Carrying capacity
Maximum
10
8
6
4
2
0
1915
1925
1935
Time (years)
1945
500
400
300
200
100
0
10
20
30
40
Time (days)
50
60
Changes in Carrying Capacity
Population cycles
predator prey
interactions
K
K
K
K
AP Biology
Regulation of population size
marking territory
= competition
Limiting factors
density dependent
competition: food, mates,
nesting sites
predators, parasites,
pathogens
density independent
abiotic factors
sunlight (energy)
temperature
rainfall
APcompetition
Biology
for nesting sites
swarming locusts
Introduced species
Non-native species (INVASIVE)
transplanted populations grow
exponentially in new area
out-compete native species
reduce diversity
examples
African honeybee
gypsy moth
gypsy moth
AP Biology
kudzu
Zebra musselssel
~2 months
reduces
reduces diversity
diversity
loss
loss of
of food
food &
& nesting
nesting sites
sites
for
for animals
animals
economic
economic damage
damage
AP Biology
Purple loosestrife
1968
1978
reduces
reduces diversity
diversity
loss
loss of
of food
food &
& nesting
nesting sites
sites
for
for animals
animals
AP Biology
