AP BIOLOGY

ECOLOGY

PROPERTIES OF POPULATIONS

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
Disease is an example of a density ____ factor.
A
dependent
B
independent
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -Density-dependent factors include disease, competition, and predation. Density-dependant factors can have either a positive or a negative correlation to population size. With a positive relationship, these limiting factors increase with the size of the population and limit growth as population size increases.

Detailed explanation-2: -Density-dependent limiting factors tend to be biotic-having to do with living organisms. Competition and predation are two important examples of density-dependent factors.

Detailed explanation-3: -Density-independent factors are limiting factors that affect population sizes and contribute to carrying capacity but do not maintain it at a certain level. Diseases are not density-independent factors because they are more effective at spreading when the organisms are in a large population.

Detailed explanation-4: -Parasites and disease-causing organisms feed at the expense of their hosts, weakening them and often causing disease or death. Parasitism and disease are density-dependent effects, because the denser the host population, the more easily parasites can spread from one host to another.

Detailed explanation-5: -Negative density-dependent factors include competition, predation, disease and parasites, and social behaviors. Describe invasive species and their impacts on ecosystems. Define carrying capacity and explain how it relates to density-dependent population growth.

There is 1 question to complete.