Interactions Between Organisms & the Environment
Examples of Density-Independent Factors
Weather, Sunlight, Pollution
Density-Independent
Referring to any characteristic that is not affected by population density.
Density-Dependent
Referring to any characteristic that varies with population density.
Dynamic Equilibrium
A state of balance between continuing processes
Examples of Density-Dependent Factors
Competition, Predation, Parasitism
Age Structure Diagrams
Graph of the numbers of males and females within different age groups of a population
Prey
Organisms that are hunted and killed by other organisms
Predators
Organisms that kill and eat other animals
As prey population increases...
Predator population increases
As predator population increases..
Prey population decreases
Competition
The struggle between organisms to survive in a habitat with limited resources