Of Populations Flashcards

In the logistic growth equation dN/dt = rN(1 − N/K), population growth rate is greatest when N equals:

Answer: K/2

The logistic growth rate is maximized at N = K/2, where the term (1 − N/K) is 0.5 and rN is still large.

Mark-recapture studies estimate population size using the Lincoln-Petersen method. If 50 animals are marked, 60 are later captured, and 15 of those are marked, what is the estimated population size?

Answer: 200

N = (M × C) / R = (50 × 60) / 15 = 200, where M = marked, C = second capture, R = recaptured marked individuals.

Which life history strategy is associated with K-selected species?

Answer: Few offspring, extensive parental care, late maturity

K-selected species invest heavily in few offspring and typically live in stable environments near carrying capacity.

A metapopulation consists of:

Answer: Several subpopulations connected by dispersal across a fragmented landscape

Metapopulations are networks of spatially separated subpopulations that exchange individuals through immigration and emigration.

Which of the following best describes scramble competition within a population?

Answer: All individuals share resources equally, but each may get an insufficient amount

In scramble competition, resources are divided among all competitors, potentially leaving each individual with too little to survive or reproduce.

What is the net reproductive rate (R₀) of a population, and what does R₀ = 1 indicate?

Answer: Average number of offspring per female lifetime; population is stable

R₀ is the average number of offspring each female produces over her lifetime; R₀ = 1 means each female replaces herself exactly, indicating a stable population.

Inbreeding depression in small populations is primarily caused by:

Answer: Higher expression of deleterious recessive alleles due to increased homozygosity

Mating among relatives increases homozygosity, raising the probability that offspring inherit two copies of harmful recessive alleles.