Skip to Main Content

Introduction to Environmental Science, 2015 edition

2017 and 2018 revisions of this textbook for Environmental Science 1000 are available

Chapter 2: Population Ecology by Dr. Caralyn Zehnder

Parts of this chapter have been modified from:

OpenStax College , Biology. OpenStax CNX. May 13, 2015 http://cnx.org/contents/185cbf87-c72e-48f5-b51e-f14f21b5eabd@9.85.

These sections were used:
OpenStax College, Population Demography. OpenStax CNX. Jun 24, 2013 http://cnx.org/contents/36b59ccb-df39-4ba6-85cc-52f3042c36ab@5.
OpenStax College, Environmental Limits to Population Growth. OpenStax CNX. Jun 21, 2013 http://cnx.org/contents/79ebaf1a-0e1a-4efb-9712-9bb41919a17d@4.
OpenStax College, Population Dynamics and Regulation. OpenStax CNX. Apr 10, 2013 http://cnx.org/contents/bd8d993b-f105-4122-80ef-83d1dcfacde2@3.

Chapter 2 Outline

2. 1  What is population ecology?
2.2  Population size & density.
2.3  Exponential growth.
2.4  Logistic growth.
2.5  Density - dependent and independent rates.
2.6  Survivorship curves.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this chapter students should be able to:

  1. Define the variables in the exponential and logistic growth equations.
  2. Use the exponential and logistic equations to predict population growth rate.
  3. Compare the environmental conditions represented by the exponential growth model vs. the logistic growth model.
  4. Define carrying capacity and be able to label the carrying capacity on a graph.
  5. Compare density-dependent and density-independent birth and death rates.  Give examples of each.
  6. Interpret survivorship curves and give examples of organisms that would fit each type of curve.

Read the Chapter