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Unit 5 · 5 lessons

Population Dynamics

How ecologists measure and model populations, why growth speeds up and then levels off, how species interactions ripple through whole communities, and what the growth of the human population means for Earth's capacity to support it.

  • 56 practice questions
  • 50 flashcards
  • 2 interactive lessons
Start lesson 1 →Unit 5 test review →

Lessons

  1. 1Population Characteristics and SamplingPopulation size, density and dispersion patterns; estimating size with quadrats, transects and mark–recapture; natality, fecundity and mortality; life tables, survivorship curves, age structure and minimum viable population size.11 questions
  2. 2Population Growth ModelsCalculating population change and per-capita growth rate, geometric and exponential growth, doubling time and the rule of 70, logistic growth toward carrying capacity, overshoot and cycles, density-dependent and density-independent limiting factors, and r- and K-selected life strategies.Interactive11 questions
  3. 3Species Interactions and Population CyclesIntraspecific and interspecific competition, competitive exclusion and resource partitioning, predator–prey cycles in the snowshoe hare and Canada lynx, defence mechanisms and mimicry, symbiosis, keystone species and trophic cascades, and invasive species in Ontario.Interactive11 questions
  4. 4Human Population Growth and the Ecological FootprintHow the human population grew to about 8 billion, the demographic transition model, age-structure pyramids, energy flow in human food systems, ecological footprint, biocapacity and overshoot, the Living Planet Index, the effects of consumption and technology, and a balanced look at Canadian initiatives.12 questions
  5. 5Environmental Contaminants and Human HealthHow endocrine disruptors such as synthetic estrogen, BPA, phthalates and PFAS interfere with hormones (including the Experimental Lakes Area whole-lake experiment), how mercury and lead harm the nervous system, the Grassy Narrows mercury case, the difference between bioaccumulation and biomagnification, and how dose-response curves are used to set safe limits.11 questions