Please help me answer this question for my ecology class.
Consider the following three populations. Population A has a type-1 survivorship curve, population B has a type-2 survivorship curve, and population C has a type-3 survivorship curve. All else being equal, which population would have the lowest "fitness"? Explain your answer
Check this site.
http://mathworld.wolfram.com/SurvivorshipCurve.html
Be sure you understand what "fitness" means.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivorship_curve
Well, a lot of the population of type 3 die very quickly. I guess I would have to have you explain "fitness", but my understanding, I would say type 3 is least fit.
To determine which population would have the lowest "fitness," we need to understand what "fitness" means in the context of ecology. Fitness is a measure of an organism's reproductive success and its ability to survive and pass on its genes to the next generation. In other words, it indicates how well adapted an organism is to its environment.
Survivorship curves can provide insights into the mortality patterns of populations over time. Type-1 survivorship curves depict individuals who tend to live for a long time, with most of their mortality occurring later in life. Type-2 survivorship curves indicate a somewhat constant mortality rate throughout an organism's lifespan. Type-3 survivorship curves represent high mortality rates early in life, with few individuals surviving to older ages.
Now, let's look at each population and assess their relative fitness:
1. Population A with a type-1 survivorship curve: Since this population experiences low mortality rates throughout most of its lifespan, it suggests that individuals have a higher chance of surviving to reproduce. This type of survivorship curve often characterizes organisms that invest a lot of energy into parental care and have relatively longer lifespans. Therefore, Population A is likely to have a higher fitness compared to the other populations.
2. Population B with a type-2 survivorship curve: This population experiences a relatively constant mortality rate throughout its lifespan. Individuals have an equal chance of survival regardless of their age. While this type of survivorship curve is less common, it does not necessarily imply lower fitness compared to other populations. The fitness of Population B would depend on other factors such as reproductive strategy, resource availability, and competition.
3. Population C with a type-3 survivorship curve: This population exhibits high mortality rates early in life, meaning many individuals die at a young age. Only a fraction of individuals survives to reproductive age, and therefore, there is a lower chance of passing on their genes to the next generation. This survivorship curve often characterizes organisms that produce numerous offspring but provide little parental care. In this case, Population C may have the lowest fitness among the three populations due to its high early mortality.
In summary, based on the given information, Population A with a type-1 survivorship curve is likely to have the highest fitness, followed by Population B with a type-2 curve, and Population C with a type-3 curve is likely to have the lowest fitness. However, it's important to consider that fitness is a multifaceted concept influenced by numerous factors, and this assessment is based solely on survivorship curves, assuming all else is equal.