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Ch. 53 - Population Ecology
Campbell - Campbell Biology 11th Edition
Urry11th EditionCampbell BiologyISBN: 9789357423311Not the one you use?Change textbook
All textbooksUrry 11th EditionCh. 53 - Population EcologyProblem 1
Chapter 53, Problem 1

Population ecologists follow the fate of same-age cohorts to
a. Determine a population's carrying capacity
b. Determine the birth rate and death rate of each group in a population
c. Determine if a population is regulated by density-dependent processes
d. Determine the factors that affect the size of a population

Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand the concept of a cohort: A cohort in population ecology refers to a group of individuals of the same age within a population. Tracking cohorts helps ecologists study population dynamics over time.
Identify the purpose of tracking cohorts: Population ecologists track cohorts to gather data on birth rates, death rates, and survival rates, which are crucial for understanding population growth and decline.
Analyze how cohort data can reveal density-dependent processes: By examining changes in birth and death rates within cohorts, ecologists can determine if these rates are influenced by population density, indicating density-dependent regulation.
Explore how cohort studies contribute to understanding carrying capacity: Cohort data can help ecologists estimate the carrying capacity, which is the maximum population size that an environment can sustain indefinitely.
Consider the broader implications of cohort studies: Tracking cohorts allows ecologists to identify various factors affecting population size, such as environmental conditions, resource availability, and predation, providing insights into population regulation mechanisms.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Carrying Capacity

Carrying capacity refers to the maximum number of individuals in a population that an environment can sustain indefinitely without degrading the environment. It is determined by the availability of resources such as food, water, and shelter, and is crucial for understanding population dynamics and limitations.
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Density-Dependent Processes

Density-dependent processes are factors that affect population growth in relation to the population's density. These include competition for resources, predation, disease, and waste accumulation, which become more intense as the population size increases, thereby regulating population size and growth.
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Cohort Analysis

Cohort analysis involves studying a group of individuals of the same age within a population to track their survival and reproduction rates over time. This method helps ecologists understand birth and death rates, life expectancy, and factors influencing population changes, providing insights into population dynamics and structure.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

A population's carrying capacity

a. May change as environmental conditions change

b. Can be accurately calculated using the logistic growth model

c. Increases as the per capita population growth rate decreases

d. Can never be exceeded

Textbook Question

Scientific study of the population cycles of the snowshoe hare and its predator, the lynx has revealed that

a. Predation is the dominant factor affecting prey population cycling.

b. Hares and lynx are so mutually dependent that each species cannot survive without the other.

c. Both hare and lynx population sizes are affected mainly by abiotic factors.

d. The hare population is r-selected and the lynx population is K-selected.

Textbook Question

Analyzing ecological footprints reveals that

a. Earth's carrying capacity would increase if per capita meat consumption increased.

b. Current demand by industrialized countries for resources is much smaller than the ecological footprint of those countries.

c. It is not possible for technological improvements to increase Earth's carrying capacity for humans.

d. The ecological footprint of the United States is large because per capita resource use is high.