Visualizing Ecology

Reading Questions for Bush, Ecology of a Changing Planet

Ch 8.1-8.2, 10: Population Growth and Demographics 

Please complete the following questions for lab on Friday, Jan. 19.. 

1. Define the following terms:

      cohort

      survival

      mortality

      mortality rate

      life expectancy

      age structure

      life table

      limiting resource

      intraspecific competition

      interspecific competition

1. Consider the survivorship curves in Figure 1 of the Cemetery Demography lab handout. What type of survivorship curve best describes the grasshopper life table (Table 8.1)?

1. Consider the survivorship curves in Figure 1 of the Cemetery Demography lab handout. What type of survivorship curve best describes the Dall mountain sheep life table (Table 8.2)?

1. According to Bush, what are the most important factors contributing to decreases in the birth rate of MDCs? Do the Great Depression and post-World War II prosperity in the United States provide evidence for or against Bush’s claim about the factors responsible for birth rate?

1. What does Bush think the most effective methods are for controlling population growth? Do you agree or disagree?