Species Distribution and Abundance Flashcards

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In ecology, what is meant by the distribution of a species?

Distribution is where individuals of a species are found in a habitat or area.

What is meant by the abundance of a species in an area?

Abundance is the number of individuals of that species in a given area or volume.

Give one way scientists can write abundance with units.

They can write it as number of individuals per square metre, for example 20 plants per m².

How is distribution different from abundance?

Distribution is about where a species is found; abundance is about how many of that species are there.

What is a population in ecology?

A population is all the individuals of the same species living in the same area at the same time.

Name two abiotic (non-living) factors that can affect the distribution of a species.

Any two from: light intensity, temperature, rainfall, soil pH, salt level, or oxygen level.

Name two biotic (living) factors that can affect the abundance of a species.

Any two from: amount of food, number of predators, number of competitors, or disease.

What does a clumped distribution pattern look like?

Individuals of the species are found in groups, with gaps between the groups.

What does a uniform (even) distribution pattern look like?

Individuals are spread out evenly over the area, with similar spaces between them.

Why do scientists study species distribution and abundance over time?

To see how populations change and to check the effects of things like pollution or climate change.

Why do scientists often estimate abundance instead of counting every organism?

Because there are often too many individuals or the area is too large to count them all.

If a species has a high abundance in one area and low abundance in another, what does this show about its distribution?

It shows the species has an uneven distribution, being much more common in some places than in others.

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