Ecology

Related Topics:
More Lessons for High School Biology

Math Worksheets

A series of free High School Biology Video Lessons.

Population Density
Population density is loosely defined as the number of organisms in an area divided by the amount of area. Population density is typically measured in kilometers squared. High population density can cause increased competition for resources while low population density can cause problems with finding mates and inbreeding. Dispersion
Dispersion is the spreading of a population or organism away from its parents and happens when organisms are looking for additional resources or as an adaptation to environmental changes. Dispersion is influenced by various environmental factors such as temperature or terrain. Animals disperse by moving, while plants have seed dispersal. Population Growth
Population growth is loosely defined as the change in the amount of individuals of a specials in an area over time. To find the growth rate of a population, we take the number of individuals moving into an area and subtract the number of individuals moving out of an area by taking the birth rate, adding the immigration rate and subtracting the death rate and emigration rate. Two types of population growth are exponential and logistic growth. Behavioral Ecology
Behavioral ecology is the study of ecological and evolutionary causes of behavior in organisms. Behavior is influenced by genetics and the environment and should increase the reproductive fitness of a species. Common behaviors studied including things like learning, communication, foraging, reproductive strategies and social behaviors.