Virtual Museum of Canada
Jardin botanique de Montréal 
Centre for Forest Research

Glossary - K-selection

In stable or predictable environments, K-selection predominates as the ability to compete successfully for limited resources is crucial and populations of K-selected organisms typically are very constant and close to the maximum that the environment can bear (unlike r-selected populations, where population sizes can change much more rapidly).

Traits that are thought to be characteristic of K-selection include: large body size, long life expectancy, lower fecundity and the production of fewer offspring that require extensive care or protection until they mature.


Back to glossary