An r-selected species is a type of organism that has a high reproductive rate, short lifespan, and produces many offspring with little parental care.
Related terms
K-selected species: These are organisms that have a low reproductive rate, long lifespan, and produce few offspring but provide extensive parental care to ensure their survival.
Survivorship curve: A graph that represents the number of individuals surviving at each age in a given population.
Life history strategy: The set of traits and behaviors exhibited by an organism throughout its life cycle in response to environmental conditions.