Name: _________________________

Period: _________________________
Date: _________________________

Populations and Carrying Capacity

Directions: You will be working with your designated learning partner to explore
the following websites and interactive materials. However, you will be writing the
answers to these questions on your own individual piece of paper. Graph paper
has been provided for you. Be as detailed as possible and read the questions
carefully.
Population Biology Basics
http://animals.about.com/cs/zoology/a/zoo101ae.htm
1. Define the term population.
2. Explain why populations change over time. Be sure to discuss the conditions necessary for
populations to grow rapidly.
3. Define the term carrying capacity.
4. Compare and contrast how density-dependent factors and density-independent factors
affect carrying capacity.
5. Discuss, using real world examples, how predator and prey interactions affect population
growth.

Animals and Their Environment

http://animals.about.com/od/zoologybasics/a/animalsenvironment.htm
6. What are biotic components of the environment? Provide at least 3 examples.
7. What are abiotic components of the environment? Provide at least 3 examples.

African Lions: Modeling Populations

http://smartgraphs-activities.concord.org/activities/225-african-lions-modelingpopulations/student_preview
8. Explain why the population of lions in the crater decreased to only 12 lions in 1962. (pg. 2)
9. Compare and contrast the conditions for when populations increase over time versus when
populations decrease over time. (pg. 3).
10. Propose a hypothesis for why being isolated in the Ngorongoro Crater affects lion
emigration or immigration patterns and not birth or death rates. (p. 4).
11. What do you predict will happen to the lion population after the crash in 1963? DRAW your
predicted graph on the graph paper starting with the data point at 1963. EXPLAIN why you
drew your graph this way.
12. If bacteria double their population every hour, what do you think the population growth
curve of the bacteria looks like? (pg. 6 and 7) DRAW your predicted graph on the graph paper in
one color, and once you get to page 7, on the same graph, DRAW the actual graph in another
color. Compare and contrast your predicted graph to the actual one.
13. In your own words, describe what exponential growth is. What letter does an exponential
growth curve look like? What conditions allow for exponential growth? (pg. 7 and 8)
14. Propose a hypothesis for why the lion population undergoes exponential growth after 1963.
(pg. 9)
15. Propose an argument for why or why not the rate of growth of the lions will continue to
increase. (pg. 9)
16. Brainstorm a list of at least THREE factors that limit population growth. Please identify at
least ONE biotic factor and ONE abiotic factor. (pg. 10)
17. In your own words, describe what logistic growth is, using examples from the website.
What letter best describes a logistic growth curve? (pg. 11)
18. Using what you now know about limiting factors, DRAW your predicted growth curve of the
lion population from 1980 to 2013 on the chart below. Explain your prediction. (pg. 12)
19. Explain the relationship between population growth and limiting factors, and how this
relates to carrying capacity. (pg. 13).
20. With your new knowledge, make any CHANGES to your predicted growth curve of the lion
population from 1980 to 2013 on the chart below. Explain the changes you made, if any. (p. 15)

21. SKETCH the actual data onto the chart on the graph paper. Compare and contrast your
predicted growth curve to the actual data. Propose a hypothesis for why the real data looks the
way it does. (pg. 16 and 17)

Rabbit Population by Season

https://www.explorelearning.com/index.cfm?method=cResource.dspDetail&resourceID=380
Once
Once you
you click
click on
on the
the link,
link, look
look for
for the
the button
button LAUNCH
LAUNCH GIZMO.
GIZMO. Warning:
Warning: You
You only have 5
minutes
minutes per
per day
day to
to use
use the
the Gizmo,
Gizmo, so
so be
be efficient
efficient with
with your
your time.
time.
On the Gizmo, make sure that AMPLE land is checked, and NONE of the weather
conditions are marked. PLAY the simulation for 4 years, and on the upper right corner, click the
GRAPH tab to see the rabbit growth curve.
22. Sketch on the graph paper the population growth with AMPLE land and NEUTRAL weather.
23. Predict how the graph will appear when the land is now LITTLE. Sketch your predicted graph
and propose an explanation for how and why little land will affect growth.
On the Gizmo, now check the LITTLE land box, and make sure NONE of the weather
conditions are marked. PLAY the simulation for 4 years paying attention to the GRAPH tab.
24. Sketch on the graph paper the population growth with LITTLE land and NEUTRAL weather.
25. Compare and contrast your predicted graph to the simulation graph. What changes would
you make, if any?
26. Predict how the graph will appear if the land is AMPLE, but the Conditions are HARSH
WINTER. Sketch your predicted graph and propose an explanation for how and why the harsh
winter will affect growth.
On the Gizmo, check the AMPLE land box again, but this time, check the HARSH WINTER
box under Conditions. PLAY the simulation for 4 years paying attention to the GRAPH tab.
27. Sketch on the graph paper the growth with AMPLE land and HARSH WINTER conditions.
28. Compare and contrast your predicted graph to the simulation graph. What changes would
you make, if any?
29. Compare the effects of land size and weather conditions on population growth for the
rabbits. Which effect was stronger in decreasing population growth? Compose a brief argument
supporting land size effects or weather conditions. Discuss density-independent and densitydependent limiting factors in your argument.

Name: _____________________
Period: _____________________
Date: _____________________
Graph Paper
Number 11 Graph

Number 12 Graph

Number 18 and 20 Graph

Number 22 Graph

Number 23 and 24 Graph

Number 26 and 27 Graph