Two bird species, one an r-strategist and the other a K-strategist, are near extinction. Intense conservation efforts are undertaken, and both species begin to recover and increase in number. Which, if either, species should increase more quickly, and why?

Question

Baldwin

Social Studies

9 August, 09:46

Two bird species, one an r-strategist and the other a K-strategist, are near extinction. Intense conservation efforts are undertaken, and both species begin to recover and increase in number. Which, if either, species should increase more quickly, and why?

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Answers (1)

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Donavan Middleton · Answer 1

The r-strategist.

Explanation:

R-Strategist species (such as rodents, ants and other insects) are defined as a species whose populations depend on their reproductive capacity.

Their offspring requires short gestation periods, they can produce a large number of newborns in a relatively short time and they can also endure heavily contaminated habitats. However, they have shorter life spans than the K-strategist species (such as Elephants, larger plants, birds, etc). This could result in the r-strategist growing numbers more quickly, but after a long time, the K-strategist could slowly grow larger in numbers, due to their longer life spans, and increased ability to adapt to environmental changes.