What is an example of a K-selected species?

What is an example of a K-selected species?

K-selected species possess relatively stable populations fluctuating near the carrying capacity of the environment. These species are characterized by having only a few offspring but investing high amounts of parental care. Elephants, humans, and bison are all k-selected species.

What is a K strategist?

K-selected species, also called K-strategist, species whose populations fluctuate at or near the carrying capacity (K) of the environment in which they reside. Such species make up one of the two generalized life-history strategies posited by American ecologist Robert MacArthur and American biologist Edward O.

What are r strategists and K strategists examples?

Bacteria, insects and corals are few examples of r strategists while human, primates, and elephants are few examples of K strategists. One other notable difference between r strategist and K strategist is their sizes. The r strategist is smaller in size while the K strategist is larger.

Are humans K strategists?

Both across and within species, r and K strategists differ in a suite of correlated characteristics. Humans are the most K of all. K’s supposedly have a longer gestation period, a higher birthweight, a more delayed sexual maturation, a lower sex drive, and a longer life.

Are Plants R or K strategists?

Even plants are capable of r- and K-selected reproductive strategies. Wind pollinated species produce much more pollin that insect pollinated ones, for example, because the pollin has to be carried at random by the wind to a receptive female flower.
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r- and K-selection.

Are Crocodiles K-selected?

Some reptiles, like alligators and crocodiles, are also K-selected, living for a long time and laying eggs multiple times. Some even provide early parental care over their eggs and offspring.

Are mice R or K strategists?

You can see r- and K-selected strategies clearly by looking at different organisms within a phylogenetic group, such as the mammals. For example, elephants are highly K-selected, whereas mice are much more r-selected. Among the fishes, most, like the salmon, are r-selected.

Are dogs K or R strategists?

Indeed, one can think of a given organism as an “r-strategist” or a “K-strategist” only relative to some other organism; thus statements about r and K selection are invariably comparative. Cats and dogs are r-selected compared to humans, but K-selected compared to mice and rats.

What animals are r strategists?

Examples of r-strategist species are dogs, cats, insects, and fish.

Are whales K-selected?

Whale reproduction follows a K-selection strategy, with few offspring, long gestation, long parental care, and a long period until sexual maturity.

Are deer K-selected species?

White-tailed deer are a K- selected species and most insects are r-selected species. Population growth as described by the logistic model exhibits a characteristic “S” or sigmoid shape.

What animals are R and K selected?

For example, elephants are highly K-selected, whereas mice are much more r-selected. Among the fishes, most, like the salmon, are r-selected.
r- and K-selection.

Are turtles R or K-selected?

Similarly, reptiles such as sea turtles display both r- and K-traits: although large organisms with long lifespans (should they reach adulthood), they produce large numbers of unnurtured offspring.

Are mice R strategists?

The reproduction of mice follows an r-selection strategy, with many offspring, short gestation, less parental care, and a short time until sexual maturity. The same applies to rats.

Are plants R or K strategists?

Are chickens R or K strategists?

Generally, the animals that are found acceptable by society to eat today are essentially K-strategists. These include meat coming from cows, swine, goat, chicken, among others. The last one, however, appears to lean on the r-strategists because of their short life span.

Which organisms would be most likely to be K-selected?

K-selected species produce offspring that each have a higher probability of survival to maturity. Although not always the case, K-selection is more common in larger animals, like whales or elephants, with longer lifespans and overlapping generations. The young tend to be altricial (immature, requiring extensive care).

Are trees R or K strategists?

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 animals are R and K-selected?

Are rabbits R or K strategists?

How do rabbits breed? They fart out a ton of babies in a short period of time. In r and K selection theory, the rabbit is known as an r-strategist. R-strategists often live in unstable environments, so there’s little chance that their offspring would survive into adulthood.