Overview
When you consider the lifespan and survival strategy of an organism, it is always useful to also consider their environment, resources, and interactions in and between populations.
Humans are a K-selected species. Humans possess a relatively stable population and tend to reproduce in low numbers. They expend a vast amount of time and resources caring for their young and can expect them to survive long into adulthood. Mosquitoes, however, are an r-selected species. They live in ephemeral or short-lived environments and must be highly adaptive in their reproductive strategies - in very wet seasons, they will "boom" and many, many young will be created and abandoned to fend for themselves thus many do not survive into adulthood. In a dry season, young may not be created in such high numbers. The reproductive strategy of the mosquito is limited by the seasons and the climate.
Before you begin, be sure to review the following resources:
- Read more about reproductive strategies in Chapter 4.Links to an external site.
- K selected species strategies:
- Research and find a K-selected species (other than humans), and explain the pressures and resources that impact this strategy. Don't forget to explain how your chosen organism works to combat pressures of selection, resource availability, and environmental stressors that impact successful offspring production.