Population Dynamics AP Environmental Science

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Population Dynamics AP Environmental Science
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Population Dynamics Outline

• Characteristics of a Population
• Population Dynamics and Carrying Capacity
• Reproductive Strategies
• Conservation Biology
• Human Impacts
• Working with Nature

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Characteristics of a Population

• Population - individuals inhabiting the same area
  at the same time
• Population Dynamics Population change due to
• Population Size - number of individuals
• Population Density - population size in a certain
  space at a given time
• Population Dispersion - spatial pattern in
  habitat
• Age Structure - proportion of individuals in each
  age group in population

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Population Size

• Natality
• Number of individuals added through reproduction
• Crude Birth Rate - Births per 1000
• Total Fertility Rate Average number of children
  born alive per woman in her lifetime
• Mortality
• Number of individuals removed through death
• Crude Death Rate Deaths per 1000

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Population Density

• Population Density (or ecological population
  density) is the amount of individuals in a
  population per unit habitat area
• Some species exist in high densities - Mice
• Some species exist in low densities - Mountain
  lions
• Density depends upon
• social/population structure
• mating relationships
• time of year

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Population Dispersion
Population dispersion is the spatial pattern of
distribution There are three main
classifications Clumped individuals are lumped
into groups ex. Flocking birds or herbivore
herds due to resources that are clumped or
social interactions most common
http//www.johndarm.clara.net/galleryphots/
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Population Dispersion
http//www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/creosotebus
h2.html
Uniform Individuals are regularly spaced in the
environment - ex. Creosote bush due to antagonism
between individuals. Random Individuals are
randomly dispersed in the environment ex.
Dandelions due to random distribution of
resources in the environment, and neither
positive nor negative interaction between
individuals rare because these conditions are
rarely met
www.agry.purdue.edu/turf/ tips/2002/clover611.htm

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Age Structure

• The age structure of a population is usually
  shown graphically
• The population is usually divided up into
  prereproductives, reproductives and
  postreproductives
• The age structure of a population dictates
  whether is will grow, shrink, or stay the same
  size

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Age Structure Diagrams
Positive Growth Zero Growth
Negative Growth (ZPG) Pyramid
Shape Vertical Edges Inverted
Pyramid
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Population Dynamics Outline

• Characteristics of a Population
• Population Dynamics and Carrying Capacity
• Reproductive Strategies
• Conservation Biology
• Human Impacts
• Working with Nature

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Biotic Potential

• Ability of populations of a given species to
  increase in size
• Abiotic Contributing Factors
• Favorable light
• Favorable Temperatures
• Favorable chemical environment - nutrients
• Biotic Contributing Factors
• Reproductive rate
• Generalized niche
• Ability to migrate or disperse
• Adequate defense mechanisms
• Ability to cope with adverse conditions

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Environmental Resistance

• Ability of populations of a given species to
  increase in size
• Abiotic Contributing Factors
• Unfavorable light
• Unfavorable Temperatures
• Unfavorable chemical environment - nutrients
• Biotic Contributing Factors
• Low reproductive rate
• Specialized niche
• Inability to migrate or disperse
• Inadequate defense mechanisms
• Inability to cope with adverse conditions

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• Biotic Potential
• factors allow a population to increase under
  ideal conditions, potentially leading to
  exponential growth
• Environmental Resistance
• affect the young more than the elderly in a
  population, thereby affecting recruitment
  (survival to reproductive age)

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Population Growth

• Population growth depends upon
• birth rates
• death rates
• immigration rates (into area)
• emigration rates (exit area)
• Pop Pop0 (b i) - (d e)
• ZPG
• (b i) (d e)

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Population Growth

• Populations show two types of growth
• Exponential
• J-shaped curve
• Growth is independent of population density
• Logistic
• S-shaped curve
• Growth is not independent of population density

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Population Dynamics and Carrying Capacity

• Basic Concept Over a long period of time,
  populations of species in an ecosystem are
  usually in a state of equilibrium (balance
  between births and deaths)
• There is a dynamic balance between biotic
  potential and environmental resistance

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Carrying Capacity (K)

• Exponential curve is not realistic due to
  carrying capacity of area
• Carrying capacity - maximum number of individuals
  a habitat can support over a given period of time
  due to environmental resistance (sustainability)

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Logistic Growth

• Because of Environmental Resistance, population
  growth decreases as density reaches carrying
  capacity
• Graph of individuals vs. time yields a sigmoid or
  S-curved growth curve
• Reproductive time lag causes population overshoot
• Population will not be steady curve due to
  resources (prey) and predators

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Density-Dependent Controls

• Competition for resources
• Predation
• Parasitism
• Disease
• Poisoning

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Density-Independent Controls

• Natural disasters
• Severe weather

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Population Dynamics Outline

• Characteristics of a Population
• Population Dynamics and Carrying Capacity
• Reproductive Strategies
• Conservation Biology
• Human Impacts
• Working with Nature

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Reproductive Strategies

• Goal of every species is to produce as many
  offspring as possible!
• Each individual has a limited amount of energy to
  put towards life and reproduction
• This leads to a trade-off of long life or high
  reproductive rate
• Natural Selection has lead to two strategies for
  species r - strategists and K - strategists

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r - Strategists

• Spend most of their time in exponential growth
• Maximize reproductive life
• Minimum life

K
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R Strategists

• Many small offspring
• Little or no parental care and protection of
  offspring
• Early reproductive age
• Most offspring die before reaching reproductive
  age
• Small adults
• Adapted to unstable climate and environmental
  conditions
• High population growth rate (r)
• Population size fluctuates wildly above and below
  carrying capacity (K)
• Generalist niche
• Low ability to compete
• Early successional species

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K - Strategists

• Maintain population at carrying capacity (K)
• Maximize lifespan

K
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K- Strategist

• Fewer, larger offspring
• High parental care and protection of offspring
• Later reproductive age
• Most offspring survive to reproductive age
• Larger adults
• Adapted to stable climate and environmental
  conditions
• Lower population growth rate (r)
• Population size fairly stable and usually close
  to carrying capacity (K)
• Specialist niche
• High ability to compete
• Late successional species

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Survivorship Curves

• Late Loss K-strategists that produce few young
  and care for them until they reach reproductive
  age thus reducing juvenile mortality
• Constant Loss typically intermediate
  reproductive strategies with fairly constant
  mortality throughout all age classes
• Early Loss r-strategists with many offspring,
  high infant mortality and high survivorship once
  a certain size and age

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Population Dynamics Outline

• Characteristics of a Population
• Population Dynamics and Carrying Capacity
• Reproductive Strategies
• Conservation Biology
• Human Impacts
• Working with Nature

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Conservation Biology

• Careful and sensible use of natural resources by
  humans
• Originated in 1970s to deal with problems in
  maintaining earth's biodiversity
• Dedicated to protecting ecosystems and to finding
  practical ways to prevent premature extinctions
  of species

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Conservation Biology

• 3 Principles
• Biodiversity and ecological integrity are useful
  and necessary to all life on earth and should not
  be reduced by human actions.
• Humans should not cause or hasten the premature
  extinction of populations and species or disrupt
  vital ecological processes.
• Best way to preserve earths biodiversity and
  ecological integrity is to protect intact
  ecosystems that provide sufficient habitat

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Habitat Fragmentation

• Process by which human activity breaks natural
  ecosystems into smaller and smaller pieces of
  land
• Greatest impact on populations of species that
  require large areas of continuous habitat
• Also called habitat islands

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1949 1964 Habitat fragmentation in northern
Alberta 1982 1991
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Population Dynamics Outline

• Characteristics of a Population
• Population Dynamics and Carrying Capacity
• Reproductive Strategies
• Conservation Biology
• Human Impacts
• Working with Nature

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Human Impacts

• Fragmentation and degrading habitat
• Simplifying/ homogenizing natural ecosystems (1
  crop)
• Strengthening some populations of pest species
  and disease-causing bacteria by overuse of
  pesticides
• Elimination of some predators (sharks)

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Human Impacts (continued)

• Deliberately or accidentally introducing new
  species (exotic)
• Overharvesting potentially renewable resources
  (farmland, fish)
• Interfering with the normal chemical cycling and
  energy flows in ecosystem (excessive CO2
  emissions)

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Population Dynamics Outline

• Characteristics of a Population
• Population Dynamics and Carrying Capacity
• Reproductive Strategies
• Conservation Biology
• Human Impacts
• Working with Nature

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Working with Nature(Sustainability)

• To maintain a balance between our altered
  environments and natural environments, we need to
  learn 6 features of nature.
• Interdependence
• Diversity
• Resilience
• Adaptability
• Unpredictability
• Limits

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Basic Ecological Lessons

1. Sunlight is primary source of energy
2. Nutrients are replenished and wastes are disposed
   of by recycling materials
3. Soil, water, air, plants and animals are renewed
   through natural processes
4. Energy is always required to produce or maintain
   an energy flow or to recycle chemicals

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Basic Ecological Lessons (continued)

1. Biodiversity takes many forms because it has
   evolved over billions of years under different
   conditions
2. Complex networks of and feedback loops exist
3. Population size and growth rate are controlled by
   interactions with other species and with abiotic
   factors.
4. Organisms generally only use what they need.

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4 Principles for Sustainability(Message of the
book and this class! )

1. We are part of, not apart from, the earths
   dynamic web of life.
2. Our lives, lifestyles, and economies are totally
   dependent on the sun and the earth.
3. We can never do merely one thing (first law of
   human ecology Garret Hardin).
4. Everything is connected to everything else we
   are all in it together.