What is the difference between a r strategists and a K strategists?
The key difference between r strategist and K strategist is that the r strategist lives in unstable and unpredictable environments while the K strategist lives in more stable environment. Because of this environmental conditions, the r strategists produce many offspring while the K strategists produce few offsprings.
What is an R strategist species?
r-selected species, also called r-strategist, species whose populations are governed by their biotic potential (maximum reproductive capacity, r). Unlike K-selected species, members of this group are capable of reproduction at a relatively young age; however, many offspring die before they reach reproductive age.
What is an R strategist and a K strategist?
The Type I curve, or A curve is typically followed by k-strategist organisms. Their population mortality is low until they reach the end of their lifespan. The Type III or C curve, is typically followed by r-strategist organisms. They exhibit high mortality at the early stages of their life.
What does R and K selection mean?
r-selection: On one extreme are the species that are highly r-selected. r is for reproduction. K-selection: On the other extreme are species that are highly K-selected. K refers to the carrying capacity, and means that the babies are entering a competitive world, in a population at or near its carrying capacity.
Are birds R or K-strategists?
Examples of K-selected species include birds, larger mammals (such as elephants, horses, and primates), and larger plants.
Are trees R or K-selected?
For instance, trees have traits such as longevity and strong competitiveness that characterise them as K-strategists. In reproduction, however, trees typically produce thousands of offspring and disperse them widely, traits characteristic of r-strategists.
What are some characteristics of K-strategists?
K-selected species are characterized by long gestation periods lasting several months, slow maturation (and thus extended parental care), and long life spans. In addition, they tend to inhabit relatively stable biological communities, such as late-successional or climax forests (see ecological succession).
Are k-selected species opportunists?
Explanation: R-selected or opportunistic species are species that have high growth rates, produce many offspring, and have low survival odds for those many offspring. Examples of k-selected species include mammals such as humans, dolphins, and rhinos.
What are some characteristics of K strategists?
Are K strategists density dependent?
K-strategist populations are more commonly regulated by density-dependent limiting factors. Their population sizes hover around a carrying capacity that is dependent on factors that increase in severity with the density of the population.
Why are trees K selected?
The tree’s height and size allow it to dominate other plants in the competition for sunlight, the oak’s primary energy resource. Furthermore, when it does reproduce, the oak produces large, energy-rich seeds that use their energy reserve to become quickly established (K-selection).
Are squirrels K selected or R-selected?
Most invertebrates are r-selected compared to vertebrates. Tree squirrels are K-selected compared to ground squirrels but rodents are r-selected compared to elephants, etc.
Why are they called K-strategists?
In contrast, insects which have low reproductive rates but with high survival rates are called K-strategists, named after the symbol for flattened portion of a population growth curve “K”, the abbreviation means the carrying capacity of the environment (Pedigo, 1989; Robinson, 1987).
