1. Population Ecology Notes

2. Biotic Potential:
Defined: Genetically determined maximum reproductive rate for a species under ideal conditions.
Examples:
Whales and humans have low biotic potential
Rabbits and bacteria have high biotic potential
*These do not change*

3. Environmental Resistance:
Defined: Collective factors that reduce ideal population growth
Types:
Density Dependent- depends on the size of the population
Ex. Disease, predation, competition
Density Independent- Factors that limit a population growth regardless of size
Ex. Climate, natural disasters

4. Carrying Capacity:
Defined: Maximum population size that a particular environment can support over time.
Carrying capacity results from the interaction between biotic potential and environmental resistance.
Environmental Resistance
Biotic
Potential

5. Population Growth: (2 types)
Exponential growth
“J Shaped” curve
Population Increases by the same factor every year

6. Population Growth: (2 types)
2. Logistic Growth
“S Shape” curve
Population levels off when it reaches carrying capacity
Can over shoot and:
Die back to carrying capacity
Die back to a lowered carrying capacity
Crash to extinction or near extinction
*Which occurs depends on the amount of environmental damage done during the overshoot*