BIOL 2260 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Richard Levins, Metapopulation, Habitat Destruction
5 Jul 2016
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Document Summary
Habitat loss and hunting pressures killed off 3-5 million passenger pigeons in north america. Population: a group of potentially interbreeding individuals of a single species inhabiting a specific area. A group of sub-populations living in isolated patches with exchange of individuals. Population size: absolute number of individuals in a population. Population density: number of individuals per unit area. Crude density: density with no regard for suitable habitat. Ecological density: density per area of suitable habitat. A collection of areas which are populated or not (equal size). Each patch can be colonized or go extinct. One giant source population located on the mainland. The source maintains a constant population of individuals. Sub-populations or sinks are fed from the mainland. Genetics can help by revealing the degree of interbreeding between sub-populations. Knowing an organism"s distribution is essential when managing populations. Understanding factors that limit distribution allow us to identify and protect critical habitat.
