What becomes more likely to occur in a small population? Check all that apply.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In small populations, the Allee effect may occur where a decrease in population size leads to a decrease in reproductive success or survival. Increased genetic drift is also more likely since there is less genetic variation present to begin with. A small population is more susceptible to the extinction vortex, where inbreeding and loss of genetic variation leads to a downward spiral towards extinction. Increased genetic diversity (choice C) is less likely to occur in a small population because there are fewer individuals contributing to the gene pool. The edge effect (choice E) refers to the increased effect of habitat fragmentation at the edges of populations and is not necessarily more likely to occur in small populations.

What Becomes More Likely to Occur in a Small Population