What is an R strategist and K strategist?
The r and K strategists are two types of organisms categories under the basis of r and K selection. r strategist is the organism living in unstable environments. On the contrary, K strategist lives in stable, predictable environments. Therefore, r strategist reproduces fast in order to ensure its survival.
How do R strategists and K strategists differ?
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 the difference between R and K selective?
The r selected species live in populations that are highly variable. The fittest individuals in these environments have many offspring and reproduce early. K selected species tend to have fewer offspring, so their populations cannot recover as fast from a disturbance such as over hunting or fire.
What is an 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. K-selected species are characterized by long gestation periods lasting several months, slow maturation (and thus extended parental care), and long life spans.
What is R-strategist species?
r-selected species, also called r-strategist, species whose populations are governed by their biotic potential (maximum reproductive capacity, r). The production of numerous small offspring followed by exponential population growth is the defining characteristic of r-selected species.
What are the characteristics of R-strategists?
Among the traits that are thought to characterize r-selection are high fecundity, small body size, early maturity onset, short generation time, and the ability to disperse offspring widely. Organisms whose life history is subject to r-selection are often referred to as r-strategists or r-selected.
Is a mouse R strategist or K strategist?
For example, elephants are highly K-selected, whereas mice are much more r-selected. Among the fishes, most, like the salmon, are r-selected. Even plants are capable of r- and K-selected reproductive strategies.
What is meant by R vs K reproductive strategies?
In the equations describing growth of populations of organisms, r represents the slope of the line representing exponential growth. The letter K represents the carrying capacity of a habitat for members of a given sort of organism.
Why are they called R and K strategists?
What are the characteristics of R strategists?
What do R and K strategists stand for?
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.
What is the difference between R and K species?
r is for reproduction. Such a species puts only a small investment of resources into each offspring, but produces many such low effort babies. 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.
Which is an example of a K strategist?
This is the key difference between r strategist and K strategist. Bacteria, insects and corals are few examples of r strategists while human, primates, and elephants are few examples of K strategists.
What kind of organism is an are strategist?
An r-strategist is an organism characterized by its unstable environment and its ability to produce a dense population independently. R-strategists are typically small organisms that have early maturity and a short life expectancy. Usually these animal reproduce many offsprings at a time, such as frogs that have 20-30 offsprings…
Are there organisms that neither fit the K or are strategist curve?
Other factors also control survivorship of species, and the r/k selection theory is now obsolete. In between, there are some organisms like birds, mice, rabbits, butterflies, etc. that neither fit the k-, or r-strategist type of survival. They lie in a zone where their chances of survival remain the same throughout their lifespan.
Where do K strategists live on the population growth curve?
The r/k selection theory explains whether a species chooses to be a k-strategist or an r-strategist. K-strategists “live” near the carrying capacity k on the population growth curve, under stable environment conditions. They have limited resources.