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Geography - population and the environment > Population ecology > Flashcards

Flashcards in Population ecology Deck (26)
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1
Q

what is ecology?

A

the study of interactions among organisms and their environment

2
Q

what is population?

A

all the individuals of a species that live together

3
Q

what are the 3 key features of a population?

A

size
density
dispersion

4
Q

what is size?

A

the number of individuals in an area

5
Q

what is density?

A

the measurement of population per unit area

6
Q

what is dispersion?

A

the spread of population can be clustered, random and uniform

7
Q

what is biotic potential?

A

the natural reproductive potential of the species

8
Q

what is environmental resistance?

A

a term used in population ecology to explain mortality rates controlled by environmental factors that prevent survival

9
Q

what is a density independent environmental limiting factor ?

A

increase death rate whatever the population size

10
Q

what is a density dependent

A

food supply /disease will become more prevalent limiting growth as the population increases

11
Q

what has human population been like for the past 200 years?

A

been in a long phase of exponential growth for the past 200 years

12
Q

what is the optimum population?

A

ideal balance between population and resources

13
Q

what is overpopulation?

A

too many people in an area relative to the available resources

14
Q

what is underpopulation?

A

too few people to use resources efficiently for a given level of technology

15
Q

what is the biosphere?

A

the biological components of the Earth’s systems

16
Q

what is the carrying capacity?

A

the maximum population size that an area can sustain indefininetly

17
Q

what is the ecological footprint?

A

a measure of the demand placed by humans on Earth’s natural ecosystems

18
Q

what is an overshoot?

A

refers to a point when the population and its associated consumption resources exceeds the long term carrying capacity

19
Q

what is the total productivity bio-capacity?

A

all the food water and energu resources produced by the earths natural systems in order to sustain us

20
Q

carrying capacity-professor william rees

A
  • flexible depending on average lifestyle
  • varying levels of consumption of resources
  • earth may support 10 bil at modest level of consumption but we will have a lower carrying capacity if we waste resources and live the life of HICS
21
Q

Rees calculation of carrying capacity

A

measure the total productivity bio capacity of earth by dividing it by total population

22
Q

implications of carrying capacity

A

-concept of carrying capacity introduces a limit to population growth

23
Q

implications of a growing ecological footprint

A
climate change 
more land used for settlement and industry
degradation of natural ecosystems 
increased threat of species extinction 
depletion of fish stocks 
overgrazing
24
Q

what is the case study used for population growth?

A

Easter island

25
Q

where did it all go wrong … Easter island

A

easter island is a reminder that there are finite limits on our environment

26
Q

as a global society…

A

if we continue to use the environment in an unsustainable way then we will have to learn to live differently and live with less