Population ecology

Dr S K Patidar
Population ecology
Species and Populations- Population characteristics, Population
dynamics in space and time.
Human population, demographic transition, carrying capacity of earth.
Temporal and spatial variation in abundance. Metapopulation, niches
concept, r and K selection.

C-S-R Model,
Genecology and range extensions.
Important introduction
https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=PQ-CQ3CQE3g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bu6ouKt9zhs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSGWfXO0-8o
Population characteristics
1. Population Size and Density:

a. Crude density:
It is the density (number or biomass) per unit total space.
Ecological density:
It is the density (number or biomass) per unit of habitat space i.e.,
available area or volume that can actually be colonized by the
population.
2. Population dispersion or spatial distribution:
 3. Age structure:

http://www.bio.utexas.edu/faculty/sjasper/Bio213/popecol.html
https://www.notesonzoology.com/animals/top-7-attributes-of-
population/4290
4. Natality (birth rate):
• Natality rate: number of births/unit of time/Average Population
• For wildlife management: N1 = N0 + (B − D) + (I − E) Where:
• N1 = number of individuals at time 1
• N0 = number of individuals at time 0
• B = number of individuals born
• D = number of individuals that died
• I = number of individuals that immigrated
• E = number of individuals that emigrated between time 0 and time 1.

• Intrinsic rate of increase: (dN/dt)(1/N) = r

• r= intrinsic rate of increase
• (dN/dt) = rate that population increases
• N = population size
5. Mortality (death rate):

The mortality or death rate is calculated by

separating the number of death in an interim
by the sum of time in danger over all people.
It can be calculated using the following
formula:

https://www.notesonzoology.com/animals/top-7-attributes-of-
https://brainly.in/question/6136561 population/4290
Biotic Potential :

Biotic potential definition is - the inherent capacity of an organism or

species to reproduce and survive
The biotic potential is the quantitative expression of the ability of a species to face selection in
any environment. The main equilibrium of a particular population is described by the equation:

Number of Individuals = Biotic Potential/Resistance of the Environment (Biotic and Abiotic)

Chapman also relates to a "vital index", regarding a ratio to find the rate of surviving members
of a species, whereas;

Vital Index = (number of births/number of deaths)*100

Growth curve

https://www.notesonzoology.com/animals/top-7-attributes-of-
population/
Survivorship curve
https://www.quia.com/files/quia/users/lmcgee/ecology/survivorship-curve-L.gif
R and K selection
“In ecology, r/K selection theory relates to the selection of
combinations of traits in an organism that trade off between quantity
and quality of offspring. The focus on either an increased quantity of
offspring at the expense of individual parental investment of r-
strategists, or on a reduced quantity of offspring with a corresponding
increased parental investment of K-strategists, varies widely, seemingly
to promote success in particular environments.”
Coined by Mc Arthur and R K Wilson, 1967

R or r= Reproduction K or k= Carrying capacity

 http://www.bio.miami.edu/tom/courses/bil160/bil160goods/16_r
Kselection.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R/K_selection_theory
Characteristic r K

Number of offspring high low

Parental care low high

Reproductive Maturity early late

Size of offspring small large

Independence at birth early late

Ability to learn low high

Lifespan short long

Early mortality high low

Demography and Human Population

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/0njcUXvQqq8/maxresdefault.jpg
Metapopulation
• A regional group of connected populations of a species.
• For any given species, each metapopulation is continually being
modified by increases (births and immigrations) and decreases
(deaths and emigrations) of individuals, as well as by the emergence
and dissolution of local populations contained within it.
• As local populations of a given species fluctuate in size, they become
vulnerable to extinction during periods when their numbers are low.
https://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/wlf448/2010/Lab
Combine approach to understand community
ecology

Imagine- Sum of Populations/variety of organisms than single

Population/ individual of species
C-S-R
Important link (open source):
https://people.wou.edu/~guralnl/gural/454LifeHistoryr&k.pdf

E-Book
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-94-009-1207-6_14
CSR model
CSR or Grimes triangular Model
Universal adaptive strategy theory (UAST)

• C-S-R
• Explained in the same model

• It is possible to use multivariate statistics to determine the main

trends in phenotypic variability in a range of organisms.

• UAST is a key part of the twin-filter model describing how species

with similar overall strategies but divergent sets of minor traits coexist
in ecological communities.
Energy allocation
Source: The underlying model of energy allocation in
physiological ecology (Cody 1966; Gadgil & Bossert 1970;
Weiner 1992).

“This model considers that a limited amount of energy is

provided by nutrients from the environment (energy budget).

Nutrient extraction (foraging, digestion) reduces the usable

energy available for vital processes such as reproduction,
maintenance, activity and growth.

Any of these functions (often measured as rates of energy

conversion) can, in principle, be empirically determined in
populations to characterize their impact on fitness.”