1. Population Biology

2. Sea otters eat sea urchins
How does the # of otters in a community affect the # of urchins?
How does the # of urchins in a community affect the # of otters?

3. Population: group of organisms, all same species, in an area
Is population growth
linear or exponential?

4. Population growth is exponential - as population gets larger, it grows at a faster rate
J-curve graph

5. Limits to growth Populations can’t grow indefinitely
Limiting factors - cause population growth to slow; ex: food availability, disease, predators, lack of space
Carrying capacity - # of organisms of one species an environment can support
predators
disease
space
food

6. Life-history patterns
Rapid-life history
Reach maturity quickly
Short life span
Small bodies
Unpredictable environments (affected by weather)
Many offspring
Flies, mosquitoes, gnats
Slow-life history
Reproduce slowly
Long life span
Large bodies
Stable environment
Few offspring in a lifetime
Humans, pandas,
elephants