BIO120H1 Chapter 12: Bio Chapter 12.doc
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BIO120H1 Full Course Notes
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Chapter 12 temporal and spatial dynamics of populations (253-255, a; 257-263, a and b; remainder, c) Species can vary in their size fluctuations/cycles based on their sensitivity to environmental change (generally greater in smaller organisms) and their lifespan. Periodic cycles: when one can observe regular intervals between a population"s highs and lows (in numbers). Temporal variation can have an effect on age structure and affect population growth (imagine an illness wipes out all individuals in the human population between the age of 5-25). Despite irregularity in environmental conditions, population cycling seems to be very regular for most populations. This is reflective of intrinsic qualities of a population. Some populations, for example, are extremely sensitive to environment fluctuations and can oscillate wildly when such affected. Populations have an intrinsic tendency towards periodicity, much like a pendulum. One can generally observe time delays in a population"s increases or decreases due to fluctuations in the environment or other factors.
