Chapter 7: Relationships in

an ecosystem
Chapter 7.3 Population Dynamics
Population
A population is a group of individuals within a
species that have the opportunity to breed with one
another because they live in the same area.
Any one species is divided into many populations,
which are geographically separated.
The number of individuals in a population is called
the population size.
KEY FEATURES OF
POPULATIONS
1. Population size
• Population size is the number of individuals in a
population
• A small population is more likely to become extinct:
• in the case of random events or natural disaster
• due to inbreeding where the population is more
genetically alike (recessive traits are more likely
to appear)
• with reduced variability it is harder to adapt to
changes.
 KEY FEATURES OF
POPULATIONS

2. Population density
• the number of individuals in a given area.
• if they are too far apart they may only rarely
encounter one another resulting in little
reproduction.
 KEY FEATURES OF
POPULATIONS

3. Distribution
• the way in which the individuals are arranged
FACTORS THAT LIMIT DISTRIBUTION
AND SIZE
• Factors that limit distribution and abundance is also
known as environmental resistance. The main factors
are:
• Characteristics of the environment:
• Lack of light – particularly important for plant populations both on water
and land.
• Lack of oxygen – particularly important to aquatic populations.
• Lack of shelter – this could be shelter from predators or from adverse
environmental conditions.
• Lack of food or water – needed for basic functioning.
• Weather and other catastrophes – excessive weather conditions can
cause limits to populations.
• Accumulation of toxic waste – build up of many wastes can limit
population size.
• Characteristics of the organism:
• Each organism has particular requirements that
must be fulfilled to ensure survival and
reproduction. Each organism will carry out these
functions differently depending on the species,
environment etc.
• Examples: obtaining food, avoiding death and
reproducing.

Leeches feed on blood

from animals. They
need to be able to find
an animal, latch on and
be able to draw blood
out without falling off
or being killed.
• Interactions between organisms:
• Interspecific competition – different species competing for the same
resource. Examples: different species competing for the same nesting
sites or the same food etc. Can affect population numbers of the
competing species.
• Intraspecific competition – individuals of the same species are
competing for the same resource. Example: if a food resource for a
particular species suddenly becomes scarce then all individuals will
be competing for what is available. Can decrease the population of
the competing species.
• Predators and parasites – can affect all populations, keeping the
numbers down.
• Disease – diseases can spread more rapidly in larger populations and
therefore have a big effect on the population size.
• Crowding – overcrowding can cause excessive stress leading to
abnormal behaviour, which results in limited populations.
POPULATION SIZE:
• Population size can be affected by four factors:
 
1. natality (births)
2. mortality (deaths)
3. immigration (moving into the population)
4. emigration (leaving the population)
 
• Birth and immigration increase the population size and death and
emigration decrease the population size.

• Rate of population growth is equal to:

births + immigration – death and emigration

CARRYING CAPACITY:
• The carrying capacity is the maximum number of organisms that the
habitat can sustain.
• Populations tend to produce more offspring than the environment
can support.
• Natural selection and all the limiting factors will determine what the
carrying capacity for the environment is.
Two modes of population growth
 THEORETICAL EXPONENTIAL
GROWTH:

• A larger number of individuals is added

to the population in each generation (e.g.
bacteria)
• Eg 1,2,4,8,16,32…….
• When graphed, this appears as a J-curve
• This is a theoretical growth as the
assumption is made that the number of
immigrants equals the number of
emigrants and there are no limiting
factors like food availability, space etc.
 LOGISTIC GROWTH – CARRYING
CAPACITY:

• Refers to the maximum population size an

environment can support for a long period of
time
• Carrying capacity is determined by the
resources available to support a population
• When graphed the curve will level out
(appears as an S-curve) called a Sigmoid
Growth Curve
• The growth curve increases exponentially
until growth rate becomes density-
dependent (point of maximum growth)
 EXAMPLE: Plateau: maximum
no. has been
Transitional Phase: reached and birth
Environmental selective rate equals death
pressures start to have rate. Carrying
an impact capacity has been
reached.

Exponential Growth:
Reproduction at
maximum rate as no
Lag Phase: limiting factors
establishing the
population
 Population explosions
• Sometimes when a species is introduced into a new
ecosystem, a population explosion can occur. A population
explosion can also occur in an already established species in
the ecosystem.
• The factors involved in population explosions are:
• Very fast reproduction rates.
• High nutrient concentration, i.e. greater availability of food.
• Lack of predators.
• High level of dispersal (movement of organisms from one region to another).
  of thorns
Crown Locust plague
starfish invasion
EUTROPHICATION
• Blue-green algal booms are a symptom of a process called
eutrophication. Eutrophication involves a number of factors:
• The nutrient enrichment of water, particularly of phosphorus and
nitrogen. Can be caused by run-off from farming land where artificial
fertilisers have been used, sewage treatment plants and urban run-
off.
• Under conditions of high light due to the removal of trees and low
levels of water due to irrigation, causes abundant algal growth.
• The high level of algae supports large numbers of aerobic bacteria,
which decompose dead organic matter. This process removes oxygen
from the water, leaving the water unable to sustain aquatic
invertebrates and fish.