ENWC 201 Study Guide Q&A Rate A+

Dispersal - Movement to a new area Emigration = move out of a population Immigration = move into a population Often a result of overcrowding (density dependent) Most often young animals are moving to establish a new home range or become members of a new population (immigration) Limiting factors - factors that prevent unlimited population growth May be dependent on population density or unrelated to density Density dependent factors - causes higher mortality or decreased birth rate as population increases Density independent factors - causes higher mortality or decreased birth rate regardless of population density Carrying Capacity - the maximum sustainable population Limiting factors help to define K May change K = carrying capacity Behavior - the actions or reactions of an organism in response to external or internal stimuli Behavior Ecology - the study of the ecological and evolutionary basis for animal behavior The roles of behavior in enabling animals to adapt to their ecological niches Learned Behavior - range from simple behavioral changes to complex problem solving Circadian Rhythms - Circadian: approx. One day Daily activity patterns of animals with a regular patter of about 24hrs (feeding, sleeping and singing) Adjusted by external cues (sunlight)