Which of the following characteristics is typical of r-strategists?

Review for the KAMSC Honors Biology Exam. Enhance your knowledge with multiple-choice questions, flashcards, and detailed explanations to master key concepts. Prepare confidently for your semester exam!

R-strategists are organisms that typically have a reproductive strategy characterized by producing a high number of offspring in a relatively short period of time. This strategy maximizes the likelihood that at least some of the offspring will survive to adulthood, especially in unpredictable or unstable environments where the chances of mortality are high. R-strategists often thrive in conditions where rapid population growth can occur, as they take advantage of transient resources and reduced competition.

In contrast to r-strategists, K-strategists tend to have longer maturation times, fewer offspring, extended parental care, and slower growth rates. These strategies are associated with stable environments where the investment in fewer offspring increases the chances of each surviving to maturity. Thus, the high number of offspring produced by r-strategists is a defining characteristic that enables them to quickly establish and grow their populations in various ecosystems.

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