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AP® Biology · Unit 8 · Topic 8.3

Population Ecology: Topic Checklist (Biology 8.3)

Specific “I can…” statements for population ecology, births and deaths, per capita rates and exponential growth, each linked to the guide section and practice question that tests it.

Work through the list without notes. If you cannot do a statement, follow its link, then come back. Guide = study guide; Practice = practice questions.

Understanding

  • I can define a population and explain why a group of several species, or one species spread across separate places, is not one population. (Guide: “What a population is”; Practice Q1)
  • I can describe ways members of a population interact with each other and with their environment. (Guide: “What a population is”)
  • I can explain how birth rate, death rate and population size together set how fast a population grows. (Guide: “What changes population size”; Figure 1)
  • I can explain how adaptations for obtaining and using energy and matter affect births and deaths. (Guide: “Energy, matter and births and deaths”; Practice Q6)
  • I can describe the conditions that allow exponential growth and explain why it cannot continue. (Guide: “Exponential growth”; Practice Q7)

Calculation and skills

  • I can calculate dN/dt from births and deaths, with units. (Guide: Worked example 1; Practice Q2, Q5)
  • I can calculate per capita birth, death and growth rates and use them to compare populations of different sizes. (Guide: Worked example 1; Practice Q5)
  • I can use dN/dt = rₘₐₓN and project a population one time step at a time. (Guide: Worked example 1; Practice Q7)
  • I can calculate means of replicate counts and the ratio over each time interval to test for exponential growth. (Guide: Worked example 2; Practice Q4)
  • I can construct a line graph of population data with labelled axes, units, a suitable scale (including a log scale) and error bars where needed. (Guide: “Representing population data on graphs”; Figure 2; Practice Q4)

Reasoning

  • I can explain why the per capita rate stays constant while dN/dt rises in exponential growth. (Guide: “Exponential growth”; Practice Q3)
  • I can identify the variables and control group in a population experiment and predict the effect of food supply on dN/dt. (Practice Q6)

All ticked? Move on to Topic 8.4, Effect of Density on Populations, or return to the course roadmap.

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