Outcomes
In this lesson you will
- define population and population growth
- differentiate between open and closed populations
- recognize that population growth is directly controlled by resources found within an ecosystem
- identify and describe the four factors that affect population size
- use population histograms to compare and contrast young, stable and declining populations
- graph and analyze population data to draw appropriate conclusions
- define biotic potential, limiting factors, and carrying capacity
- recognize the biotic and abiotic factors that can cause a population to increase or decrease
- describe the four factors which regulate the biotic potential of a species
- explain the difference between density-dependent factors and density-independent factors
- recognize the impact of the introduction of a new species population into an ecosystem
Prerequisites
To be successful in this lesson, it would be helpful to know the following:
- a population is a group of organisms of one species living together in the same geographical region