Final answer:
Organisms that undergo one massive reproductive effort and then die are known as semelparous. This strategy involves a high energy investment in a single reproductive event, often without survival post-reproduction, influencing a species' survival and evolution.
Step-by-step explanation:
Organisms that invest all their energy into growth, development, and energy storage, followed by one massive reproductive effort and then death, are called semelparous organisms. This strategy is characterized by a high energy budget dedicated to a single reproductive event where the organism generally produces a large number of offspring. Post-reproduction, the organism typically does not survive, which can be due to a number of factors, including programmed death or exhaustion. Semelparity can be contrasted with iteroparous life strategies, where organisms reproduce multiple times over their lifespan, often investing in long-term parental care and producing fewer offspring per event. Examples of semelparous organisms include bamboo and the Chinook salmon, where the latter uses most of its energy reserves to migrate and reproduce before dying. This reproductive strategy is an important aspect of the survival and evolution of a species, influencing how energy is budgeted and the trade-offs between reproduction, growth, and survival.