BACK TO K selection
K selection vs. r selection
- selection occurring when a population is at or near the carrying capacity of the environment, which is usually stable: tends to favor individuals that successfully compete for resources and produce few, slowly developing young, and results in a stable population of long-lived individuals.
- selection occurring when a population is far below the carrying capacity of an unstable environment: tends to favor individuals that reproduce early, quickly, and in large numbers so as to make use of ephemeral resources and ensure that at least some offspring survive.