Ecology

Word Problems

Ecology

ESTIMATING POPULATIONS:

•Suppose you were an ecologist looking at snow geese. Suppose there were 4000 geese in the population.

•In one year there were 1600 snow geese deaths and 1400 snow geese births

•What was the net effect on the population?

•How do immigration and emigration effect populations

•Estimating Population Size:

•Suppose you counted 60 worms in a section of a garden that was 5m by 4m

•What is the population density?

•Could you used YOUR calculations to ESTIMATE the total worm population in an area that is 40m by 20m.

•Show your work!

Identity biotic and abiotic factors of this environment.

Identify the specific habitat of at least 9 different organisms.

Wolves and Moose per Year1960 2 wolves 400 moose

1965 30 800

1970 18 1200

1975 40 1400

1980 500 800

1985 20 1000

1990 15 1200

1995 10 2400

2000 30 1000

Graph it !

YEAR

Wol

ves M

oose

Questions

1. Between 1965-69, what happened to each population

2. Why did the moose increase so much during those years?

3. After 1969, when did the moose population reach its peak. How many were there?

1. Between 1965-69, what happened to each population

2. Why did the moose increase so much during those years?

3. After 1969, when did the moose population reach its peak. How many were there?

Questions

4. In 1969, what was the size of the wolf population?

5. When did the wolf population reach its peak? How many were there?

6. After the wolf population reached its peak, what happened a few years later? Why? What might have occurred?

4. In 1969, what was the size of the wolf population?

5. When did the wolf population reach its peak? How many were there?

6. After the wolf population reached its peak, what happened a few years later? Why? What might have occurred?

Questions

7. When the wolf population was declining in the early 1990’s, what was happening to the moose population? Why?

8. After the wolf population declined to its low in the early 1980’s, what was the trend of the Moose population? Why?

7. When the wolf population was declining in the early 1990’s, what was happening to the moose population? Why?

8. After the wolf population declined to its low in the early 1980’s, what was the trend of the Moose population? Why?

Questions

7. At the end of the century, describe the trend in each population.

7. At the end of the century, describe the trend in each population.

year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99# of

Squirrels

(100’s)

3.5 2.8 2.2 3.2 3.8 5.4 5.2 4.2

year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99# of

Squirrels

(100’s)

3.5 2.8 2.2 3.2 3.8 5.4 5.2 4.2

year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99# of

Squirrels

(100’s)

3.5 2.8 2.2 3.2 3.8 5.4 5.2 4.2