AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -The terms r-selection and K-selection are used by ecologists to describe the growth and reproduction strategies of organisms. r-selected species have a high growth rate but low survivability (“cheap” offspring) K-selected species have a low growth rate but high survivability (“expensive” offspring)

Detailed explanation-2: -On the other hand, r-selected species often inhabit unstable environments and are completely density independent. These species often have short life expectancies, produce as many offspring as they can, and invest very low amounts of parental care. R-selected species can include mosquitos, mice, and bacteria.

Detailed explanation-3: -r-selection: On one extreme are the species that are highly r-selected. r is for reproduction. Such a species puts only a small investment of resources into each offspring, but produces many such low effort babies. Such species are also generally not very invested in protecting or rearing these young.

Detailed explanation-4: -A theory in population ecology that attempts to establish whether environmental conditions favor the maximization of r (the intrinsic rate of natural increase) or of K (the carrying capacity of the environment). When populations can expand without food reserves limiting their growth, then r selection is in control.