All Flashcards
What is the effect of exceeding carrying capacity?
Resource depletion, environmental damage, increased competition, and potentially a population crash.
What causes a population overshoot?
A period of rapid growth due to abundant resources, leading to a population size that exceeds the environment's carrying capacity.
What are the consequences of a population die-off?
A significant reduction in population size and potential long-term impacts on the ecosystem.
What is the effect of limited resources on population size?
Limited resources restrict population growth and lower the carrying capacity.
What is a population?
A group of the same species living in a specific area.
What is carrying capacity (K)?
The maximum number of individuals an ecosystem can support with available resources.
What is population overshoot?
When a population exceeds its carrying capacity.
What is a population crash (die-off)?
A rapid decrease in population size due to lack of resources after an overshoot.
Define exponential growth.
Population growth under ideal conditions with unlimited resources (J-curve).
Define logistic growth.
Population growth that slows as it approaches carrying capacity (S-curve).
What determines carrying capacity?
Availability of resources like food, water, habitat, and sunlight.
Why is carrying capacity important?
It helps understand the limits of population growth and manage ecosystems.
What are the consequences of overshoot?
Resource depletion, environmental damage, and increased competition.
What causes a population die-off?
Lack of food, famine, disease, and intense competition after an overshoot.
What limits population growth?
Limited resources (food, water, habitat), competition, predation, disease.
What is the relationship between resource availability and carrying capacity?
Limited resources = lower carrying capacity; Abundant resources = higher carrying capacity.
How do feedback loops relate to population dynamics?
Overshoot and die-offs are negative feedback loops that regulate population size.
Why is understanding population dynamics important for ecosystem health?
It's crucial for managing ecosystems and preventing long-term damage.