repeated production of offspring at intervals throughout the life cycle of an organism

growth, particularly of a population, in which the increase occurs in the same manner as compound interest

largest number of organisms of a particular species that can be maintained indefinitely by a given amount

abiotic factor, such as fire or flood, that affects population size independent of the population's density

biotic factor, such as disease or competition, that affects population size in a direct relationship to the population's density

results when members of a species attempt to use a resource that is in limited supply

interaction in which one organism (the predator) uses another (the prey) as a food source

Populations can sometimes show extreme fluctuations in size and growth rates in spite of extrinsic and intrinsic regulating mechanisms—such wild fluctuations with no recurring pattern are termed chaos.