CH.

11: ORGANISMS AND POPULATION

• PAGE NUMBER: 189 - 202

• TOTAL PAGES : 14

• 1-2 QUESTIONS PER PAGE AT AN AVERAGE

• BUT, LETS SEE WHICH PAGE HAS MAXIMUM WEIGHT AGE

Which page has the maximum

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38.4 % QUESTIONS

2010-2024 Page No.

184,185,187,189,
10, 11, 15 (2) 17, 24 1 198,201,202,203

10(3)15,16,17,18, 20
2 186, 188, 190, 195
21(3),22,23

11(2),12( 2),13,16 (2)

3 193, 194, 197, 199
18, 20, 21(2) 22, 23 (2)

11,12,15,18,22,23 (2) 4 192

1. Population Attributes
Example of population: All the cormorants in a wetland, Rat in an
abandoned dwelling, Teakwood trees in a forest tract, Bacteria in a
culture plate, Lotus plants in a pond etc.
2. Population ecology: An important area of ecology because it link
ecology to population genetic & evolution.
3. An individual may have Births & Deaths but population has Birth
rates & Death rates.
4. If 8 drosophila in a laboratory population of 80 died during week, the
death rate in the population is 0.1 individual per; drosophila per
week.
(NEET-2022)[NCERT-191]
5. Population attribute Sex ratio.
6. Age pyramids: Shows age distribution of males & females in a
combined diagram.
7. Representation of age pyramids for human population
(NEET-2018, 2013, 2012)[NCERT-191]

Post-reproductive
Reproductive
Pre-reproductive
Expanding Stable Declining

8. Population density measured in – Size, Number and Biomass

9. Tiger census in our national parks & tiger reserves is often based
on Pugmarks & faecal pellets
POPULATION GROWTH

Natality: Number of birth in the population that are added to the initial
density
(NEET-2018)[NCERT-192]
Mortality: Number of deaths in the population during a given
period.
Immigration: Number of individuals of the same species comes
from else where during time period.
Emigration: Number of individuals who left & go elsewhere during
time period.

Immigration (I)

Natality + Population Density Mortality

(B) (N) (D)

Emigration
(E)

Nt+1 = Nt + [(B+I)-(D+E)] [NEET 2013][NCERT-193]

10. Births + Immigration, Increase population density.

11. Death + Emigration, Decrease population density.
12. Under normal conditions, Births & Deaths are the most important
factors influencing density.
13. If a new habitat is just being colonised, immigration may contribute
more significantly to population growth then birth rates.
 Growth Models: Exponential growth & Logistic Growth OR
Geometric growth. a sigmoid curve.
Exponential/Geometric growth: When resources in the habitat
are unlimited.
[NEET 2023]
14. dN/dt = (b-d) × N Let (b-d) = r
then dN/dt = rN r -Intrinsic rate of natural increase
15. “r” values: Norway rat : 0.015
Flour beetle : 0.12
Human Population (1981) : 0.0205
16. If we plot curve between population density (N) Relation to time (t)
then J-shaped curve obtained
17. Integral form of this curve, Nt = Noert
e -The base of Natural logarithms (2.71828)
(NEET-2021)[NCERT-194]
18. Logistic Growth: A population growing in a habitat with limited
resources.
(NEET-2023)
19. Initially lag phase, phase of acceleration, deacceleration & finally
an asymptote. when the population density reaches the carrying
capacity.
(NEET-2017)[NCERT-195]
20. A plot of N in relation to time (t) results in a sigmoid curve.

21. This population growth is called Verhulst-Pearl Logistic Growth

dN
dt
= rN
K(
K-N
( K = carrying capacity

(NEET-2016)[NCERT-231]
22. Resources for growth for most animal population are finite &
become limiting sooner or later, the logistic growth model is
considered a more realistic one Life History Variation.
23. Some organisms breed only once in their life time.
eg: Pacific salmon fish, Bamboo.
24. Some breed many times during their life time eg: Most Birds &
Mammals
25. Some produce a large number of small-sized off spring eg:
Oysters, Pelagic fishes.
26. Some produce a small number of large-sized off spring eg: Birds &
Mammals.
(NEET-2021, 2018, 2016, 2015)[NCERT-196]

POPULATION INTERACTIONS

Species A Species B Name of Interaction

+ + Mutualism [ NEET-2023]

- - Competition [NEET-2023]
[NEET-2022]
+ - Predation [NCERT-196]

+ - Parasitism [NEET-2023]

+ 0 Commensalism

- 0 Amensalism [NEET-2023]
PREDATION
27. Transfer energy from lower trophic levels to higher trophic level
fixed by plants.
28. Sparrow eating any seed is no less than a predator
29. Predator keep prey population under control.
30. When certain exotic species are introduced into a geographical
area, they become invasive & start spreading fast because in that
area natural predator absent.
31. Prickly pear cactus introduced into Australia in early 1920’s
caused havoc by spreading rapidly into millions of hectares of
rangeland. Finally, the invasive cactus brough under control only
after a cactus-feeding predator (a moth) introduced.
32. Biological control methods adopted in agriculture pest control are
based on the ability of the predator to regulate prey population.
33. Predator also help in maintaining species diversity by
competition.
34. In rocky intertidal communities of American Pacific coast the
starfish pisaster is important predator.
[NEET-2022] [NCERT-197]
35. In a field Experiment, when all starfish removed from an
enclosed area, more than 10 species of invertebrates become
extinct within a year, because of inter-specific competition.
36. Prey species have evolved various defences to lessen the impact
of predation.
37. Some species of Insect & Frogs are cryptically-coloured
(camouflaged) to avoid being detected easily by the predator.
38. The Monarch butterfly is highly distasteful to its predator (Bird)
because of a special chemical present in its body.
39. For Plants, Herbivores are predators.
40. Nearly 25% of all insects are Phytophagous. (Feeding on plant sap
other parts of plants)
41. Plants evolved an astonishing variety of morphological & chemical
defences against herbivores.
42. Thorn (Acacia, cactus) most common morphological defences
against herbivores.
43. Many Plants produce & most store chemicals that make the
herbivore sick when they are eaten, inhibit feeding or digestion,
disrupt its reproduction or even kill it.
44. Calotropis produce highly poisonous Cardiac glycosides &
thats why you never see any cattle or goats browsing on this plants.
45. Wide variety of chemical substances we extract from plants on a
commercial scale-Nicotine, Caffeine, Quinine, Strychnine, Opium,
Produced by them actually as defences against grazers &
browsers.

COMPETITION
46. Darwin spoke: • Struggle for existence
• Survival of the fittest
He convinced that Interspecific competition is a potent force in
organic evolution.
47. He believed that competition ocurs when closely related species
compete for the same resources that are limiting but this is not
entirely true
(NEET-2013)[NCERT-198]
48. Totally unrelated species could also compete for the same
resource.
eg: In some shallow South America lakes visiting flamingoes &
Resident fishes compete for their common food (zooplankton)
49. Resources need not be limiting for competition to occurs
eg: Interference competition
50. Gause & other experimental ecologist did, when resources are
limited the competitively superior species will eventually eliminate
the other species.
[NEET 2023,2024][NCERT-198]
51. Abingdon tortoise in Galapagos Islands become extinct within a
decade after goats were introduced on the island, due to
greater browsing efficiency of goats.
52. Competitive release: A species whose distribution is restricted to
a small geographical area because of presence of competitively
superior species but when the superior species removed, other
species expand dramatically.
53. Connell’s elegant field Experiment
Rocky sea coasts of scotland, the larger & competitively superior
barnacle Balanus dominates the intertidal area, & excludes the
smaller barnacle Chathamalus from that zone.
54. In General, Herbivores & plants appear to be more adversely
affected by competition then carnivores.
[NEET 2023]
55. Gause’s competitive Exclusive Principle
(NEET-2016,23)NCERT-199]
States that two closely related species competing for the same
resources cannot co-exist indefinitely & competitively inferior one
will be eliminated.
56. Mac Arthur (Resource partitioning)
(NEET-2021, 2019)NCERT-199]
• If two species compete for the same resource, they could avoid
competition by choosing different times for feeding OR different
foraging pattern.
• He showed that five closely related species of warblers living
on the same tree were able to avoid competition & co-exist due
to behavioural differences in their foraging activities.
(NEET-2023)[NCERT-199]
PARASITISM

57. Parasitic mode of life ensures –Free lodging & meals.

58. Parasite has to evolve mechanisms to counteract & neutralise
them, in order to be successful with the same host species.
59. Parasitic mode of life ensures - Free lodging & meals.
60. Parasite has to evolve mechanisms to counteract & neutralise
them, in order to be successful with the same host species.
61. Parasite evolve special adaptation such as-
(NEET-2013)[NCERT-200]
• Loss of unnecessary sense organ
• Presence of adhesive organs
• Loss of digestive system
• High reproductive capacity
• Human liver flucke two intermediate host
(1) Snail (2) Fish
62. Majority of parasite harm the host, they may reduce the survival,
growth & reproduction of the host & reduce its population density.
63. Ectoparasite: Feed on external surface of host organism
eg: Lice on humans & ticks on dogs.
Marine fish & copepods
Cuscuta on hedge plants.
Cuscuta: Lost its chlorophyll & leaves in the course of evolution. It
derives nutrition from the host plant which it parasitises.
64. Endoparasite: That live inside the host body at different sites.
• The life cycles of endoparasites are more complex because of
their extreme specialisation
• Their morphological & anatomical features are greatly
simplified while emphasising their reproductive potential.
65. Brood Parasitism: Eggs of the parasitic bird have evolved to
resemble the hosts egg in size & colour.
eg: Cuckoo (Koel) & Crow
66. Commensalism: One species benefits & other is neither harmed
nor benefited
(NEET-2023)[NCERT-200]
1. Orchid growing as on Epiphytes on mango branch
(NEET-2013)[NCERT-200]
2. Barnacles growing on the back of a whale
(NEET-2019)[NCERT-200]
3. Cattle egret & grazing cattle
(NEET-2019)[NCERT-200]
4. Sea anemone & clown fish
(NEET-2019)[NCERT-200]
67. Mutualism: Both the interacting species are benefits
eg:- Lichen (Fungi & Algae)
Mycorrhizae (Fungi & Roots of Higher Plants)
Plant & Animal
Fig & Wasp.
68. Plants need the help of animals for pollinating their flowers &
dispersing their seeds & plants offer rewards or fee in the form of
pollen & nectar for pollinators & Juicy & nutritious fruits for seed
dispersers.
69. The Mediterranean Orchid ophrys employs “sexual deceit” to get
pollination done by a species of bee.
70. One petal of its flower bears an uncanny resemblance to the
female of the bee in size, colour & markings.
71. If the Female bee’s colour patterns changes even slightly for any
reason during evolution, pollination success will be reduced unless
the orchid flower co-evolves to maintain the resemblance of its
petal to the female bee.