Suppose you had a favored coney. What would the coney demand to remain alive and healthy?Pet coneies need nutrient. fresh H2O. a clean life infinite. and shelter from the elements in order to remain alive and healthy.
A female coney can give birth to over 40 babe coneies a twelvemonth. Suppose all of her offspring survived and reproduced. all of their progeny survived and reproduced. and so on. If that happened. in merely eight old ages the mass of coneies would transcend the mass of Earth!
So. why aren’t we overrun with coneies? What keeps the coney population in cheque?
Several environmental factors. for illustration limited nutrient resources. maintain a coney population from turning excessively big.
Gizmo Warm-upA population is a group of persons of the same species that live in the same country. The size of a population is determined by many factors. In the Rabbit Population by Season Gizmo™ . you will see how different factors act upon how a coney population grows and alterations.
Choose the BAR CHART check. What is the approximative size of the initial coney population? 40 coneies
Choose the TABLE check. Click Play and let the simulation to run for one twelvemonth.
- In which season did the coney population increase the most? Spring
- In which season did the coney population increase the least? Winter
Think about it: A confining factor is any factor that controls the growing of a population. What do you believe are some of the modification factors for the coney population? Examples of restricting factors include competition. disease. populating infinite. natural catastrophes. predation. and unusual conditions.
Run Gizmo: Select the DESCRIPTION check. Put the Simulation velocity to Fast. Choose the GRAPH check. Click Play. and let the simulation to run for at least 10 old ages. ( Note: You can utilize the rapid climb controls on the right to see the whole graph. )
- Describe how the coney population changed over the class of 10 old ages. For the first four old ages. the rabbit population increased in size. For the following six old ages. the coney population stayed about the same size.
- What form did you see repeated every twelvemonth?The coney population increased in size at the beginning of the twelvemonth ( spring ) . and so decreased in size towards the terminal of the twelvemonth ( winter ) .
- How could you explicate this form?The coneies reproduce during the parts of the twelvemonth when resources. such as nutrient. are plentiful. but when resources are harder to happen. such as during the winter. many of the coneies die.
Analyze: The transporting capacity is the maximal figure of persons of a peculiar species that an environment can back up. All environments have transporting capacities.
What is this environment’s approximate carrying capacity for coneies? ( Note: Average the summer and winter transporting capacities. ) between 350 and 450 coneies B. When did the coney population reach transporting capacity? Explain how you know. The coneies reached transporting capacity during the 4th twelvemonth of the simulation. After this twelvemonth. the mean size of the coney population does non alter much. Density-dependent modification factorsGet the Gizmo ready:Click Reset.On the SIMULATION window glass. do certain Ample is selected for the sum of LAND available.
Introduction: Population denseness is the figure of persons in a population per unit of country. Some restricting factors merely affect a population when its denseness reaches a certain degree. These confining factors are known as density-dependent modification factors.
Question: How does a density-dependent confining factor affect transporting capacity?
Think about it: What do you believe some density-dependent confining factors might be? Density-dependent restricting factors include predation. competition. and contagious diseases
Predict: How do you believe the sum of land available will impact theconey population?
Experiment: Use the Gizmo to happen the transporting capacity with Ample. Moderate. and Small land. List the transporting capacities below. Ample: 400 Moderate: 300 Small: 100
Analyze: How did the sum of infinite available to the coneies affect how many persons the environment could back up? As the sum of infinite decreased. so did the figure of coneies the environment could back up.
Infer: Why do you believe restricting a population’s infinite decreases the transporting capacity? As the sum of available land lessenings. critical resources such as nutrient. H2O. and populating infinite will diminish every bit good.
Challenge yourself: Other than infinite. what might be another density-dependent modification factor? Explain. A contagious disease would be a density-dependent modification factor. Density-independent modification factorsGet the Gizmo ready:Click Reset.On the SIMULATION window glass. choice Ample for the sum of LAND available.
Introduction: Not all confining factors are related to a population’s denseness. Density-independent confining factors affect a population regardless of its size and denseness.
Question: How make density-independent modification factors affect how a population grows?
Think about it: What do you believe some density-independent confining factors might be? Density-independent restricting factors include unusualconditions and natural catastrophes.
Gather information: Click Play. Let the population to make transporting capacity. Click Pause. Choose the GRAPH check and snap the camera to take a snapshot of the graph. Glue the snapshot into a clean papers. Label the graph “Normal Weather. ”
Predict: How do you believe a period of rough winters will impact the coney population? The harsh conditions will kill the coney population.
Investigate: Click Reset. Select Harsh winter from the CONDITIONS listed on the SIMULATION window glass. Click Play. and detect the how the population alterations over five old ages. Glue a snapshot of the graph in your papers. Label the graph “Harsh Winter. ”
- How does the Harsh Winter graph differ from the Normal Weather graph? The transporting capacity is lower and there is a greater population lessening during the winter.
- What do you believe most likely caused the differences seen in the two graphs? The rough winter conditions is hard to last. so more members of the population dice during the winter.
Predict: Rabbits reproduce in the spring. How do you believe a period of cold springs will impact the coney population? The coneies will non be able to reproduce.
Investigate: Deselect Harsh winter. Select Cold spring. Click Play. and detect the how the population changes over a period of five old ages. Glue a snapshot of the graph in your papers and label the graph “Cold Spring. ”
- How does the Cold Spring graph differ from the Normal Weather graph? The transporting capacity is lower and there is a smaller population addition during the spring
- What do you believe most likely caused the differences seen in the two graphs? The cold spring conditions makes it hard for the coneies to reproduce as many new persons in the spring. which is the chief genteelness season for the coneies.
Predict: How do you believe a period of hot summers will impact the coney population?
Investigate: Deselect Cold spring. Select Hot summer. Click Play. and detect the how the population changes over a period of five old ages. Glue a snapshot of the graph in your papers. Label the graph “Hot Summer. ”
- How does the Hot Summer graph differ from the Normal Weather graph? The transporting capacity is lower. and the coney population psychiatrists alternatively of remaining the same or turning during the summer.
- What do you believe most likely caused the differences seen in the two graphs? During hot summers. coneies are stressed and are unable to reproduce. In add-on. the weaker persons may non be able to last higher than normal temperatures.
Think and discourse: Other than unusual conditions. what might be another density-independent modification factor that could impact the coney population? If possible. discourse your reply with your schoolmates and instructor.
A natural catastrophe. such as a fire. would be another density-independent modification factor. The fire would jeopardize all of the coneies populating in the environment. no affair how many coneies were present at the clip of the fire.
