investigating population growth rates. activity 14: investigating population growth rates activity...

Activity 14

InvestigatingPopulation Growth Rates

Activity 14: Investigating Population Growth RatesActivity 14: Investigating Population Growth Rates

LIMITED LICENSE TO MODIFY. These PowerPoint® slides may be modified only by teachers currently teaching the Science and Global Issues SEPUP course to customize the unit to match their students’ learning levels or to insert additional teaching aides. Modified slides may be used only by the modifying teacher in his or her classroom, or shared with other teachers of Science and Global Issues within the teacher’s school district, with these same restrictions. Modified slides may not be taken out of the classroom or distributed to any non-student person or organization. Except for use with students in the classroom, modified slides may not be published in printed or electronic form, including posting on the Internet. Only text may be modified: photographs and illustrations on the slides may not be modified in any way except to change their size.

DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY. THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA (“University”) MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. University will not be liable for any costs, damages, fees or other liability, nor for any direct, indirect, special, incidental or consequential damages (including lost profits) with respect to any claims by the purchaser or user of Science and Global Issues or any third party on account of or arising from the use or modifications to the slides. Client acknowledges and accepts that University services are provided on an as-is basis.

Activity 14: Investigating Population Growth Rates

Get Started

What ecological conditions might promote or limit population growth?


Introduction

What factors do you think might change the carrying capacity for a population?

Read the introduction


Introduction

Carrying capacity is the size of a population an ecosystem can support based on the resources available and the other species present in the ecosystem.


Avril Gulf Seal Population


How do changing variables alter population growth rates and ecosystem carrying capacities?

Challenge


Procedure

Set up a blank graph similar to the graph on Student Sheet 14.1 to collect your data from the simulation.

During which periods do you think the Avril Gulf seal population have positive growth rates? What is your evidence?

Examine Student Sheet 14.1


Linear Growth Curve


Exponential Growth: J-Curve


Carrying Capacity: S-Curve


Population Crash


Follow Up

What type(s) of growth does the population graph represent?

Look at Student Sheet 14.1


Scientists and policy makers often have to work together to set catch limits on fisheries. Imagine that a policy maker proposes to allow the fishing of a certain species to go on at current rates because, she says, “Fishing at current rates will not impact the ecosystem. We are removing fish at a rate lower than the birth rate of their population.” Is this claim valid? What indicators would you look at to support or disprove this claim? Explain your reasoning.

Analysis 6


Look at the population graph for the fish population shown below. How would you describe the growth rate? Is this population sustainable?

Analysis 7


Examine the data in the Global Human Population graph provided below. Based on your work in this activity, how would you describe the global human population growth rate? Explain your reasoning.

Analysis 8


How do changing variables alter population growth rates and ecosystem carrying capacities?

Revisit the Challenge


carrying capacity density-dependent factors density-independent factors population population growth rate

Key Vocabulary

investigating population growth rates. activity 14: investigating population growth rates activity...

Documents

limit population growth

population growth rates7set

population growth ratesask

positive growth rates

modified slides

student sheet

powerpoint slides

teachers of science