Population Ecology: The Texas Mosquito Mystery Population Ecology: - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Population Ecology: The Texas Mosquito Mystery

• What are the three types of ecology?
• Population, Community, Ecosystem
• What is population ecology?
• Studying how the individuals of a species live together in a certain geographical area
• What is a population?
• A group of individuals of the same species living and interacting in a certain place
• What data do we need to know to truly study population ecology?
• Population Density (how many live in a certain area i.e. 5/acre)
• Population Dispersion (geographic arrangement i.e. evenly spaced, all found in a certain tree,

etc)

Population Ecology: The Texas Mosquito Mystery 11:52

Population Ecology: The Texas Mosquito Mystery

• What factors drive population growth?
• Fecundity (# offspring in a lifetime)
• Limiting Factors
• Density Dependent – inhibit growth of a population because of environmental stress based
• n a population size
• i.e. food, water, shelter, predator/prey, disease
• Density Independent – factors that are not based on the size of the population
• i.e. climate change, storms, earthquakes, hurricane
• What is carrying capacity?
• Number of individuals a habitat can sustain with the resources it has available

Population Ecology: The Texas Mosquito Mystery 11:52

Population Ecology: The Texas Mosquito Mystery

• What are the two types of population growth?
• Exponential – provides a J-shaped curve and occurs when the individuals reproduce at a constant rate because the

environment can support a larger population

• Logistic – S-shape curve and occurs as resources become less available, the carrying capacity is reached, and the

reproductive rate slows down or stops

• What is the formula for population growth?

Population Ecology: The Texas Mosquito Mystery 11:52

Human Population Growth

• What is the R vs K Selection Theory
• Theory that addresses how different species increase their populations
• R species reproduce very quickly
• Reproduce often, Lots of offspring, Very little parental support
• K species reproduce more slowly
• Reproduce less often, Few offspring, Lots of parental support
• How have humans been able to grow at R-levels despite being K-species?
• Increasing their carrying capacity by overcoming limiting factors
• How have we overcome our limiting factors to increase our carrying capacity?
• Better agriculture
• Better medicine
• Environmental and Technological advances (i.e. sanitation, living in inhospitable areas)

Human Population Growth 10:53

Human Population Growth

• What is the human carrying capacity?
• Nobody knows but estimated to be between 10 and 15 billion
• What is an ecological footprint?
• A calculation based on how much land and how many resources each person needs to survive
• When did the rate of human population growth peak?
• 1962
• What factors have contributed to the decrease in the RATE of human population growth?
• Culture of Women – Fewer offspring, more education, more working
• Lifestyle – urban vs farm living

Human Population Growth 10:53