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Department of Biological  and Physical Sciences

School of Science  and Mathematics

Some Study hints for Exam #2
 

• From a survivorship curve (log survivorship versus age), you should be able to deduce the pattern of mortality with age (e.g. be able to tell at which age mortality is greatest), or vice-a-versa.

• Construct a life table; either:
  
  • given the number of survivors for each age class, calculate the number of deaths over each age class and the rate of mortality (q_a)
  • given the number of death over each age class, calculate the number of survivors for each age class and the rate of mortality (q_a)

• Understand what what is measured by life expectancy (e_a), gross reproductive rate  (m_a),  net reproductive rate (R), and reproductive value (v_a).

• Given a life table with survivorship and gross reproductive rate, be able to calculate net reproductive rate (R₀) and interpret this value.
  

• Be able to interpret this type of graph:



•  What types of life history patterns might be selected for in unpredictable versus predictable environments?
  


• For the equation:
     dN/dt= rN * (1 - N/K)
  be able to describe how population size over time changes and what happen if the values of r and K are changed.
  


• Be able to distinguish between density-dependent and density-independent influences on population size.  How are these influences modelled in the deterministic and stochastic population equations.
  
  

• Be able to answer the italicized questions in the on-line lectures