S2: Population Dynamics 

An ecologist has been studying the population of chickens in Fair Oaks. She has 
been collecting data on the number of chickens she sees in old Fair Oaks over the 
past 4 years.  
 
Answer the following questions based on the graph you created. Don’t forget to 
check your spelling and h
​ ighlight​ your vocab. 
 
Part A (5pts): ​Graph (Make sure to turn this in!) 

Part B (3pts):​ Look at your graph and answer the following questions. 

What type of growth is seen in the first 20 months of your graph?  

 

What type of growth is seen over all four years? 

 

What does the ​red line​ you drew represent? 

 
 
Part C (3pts): E
​ xamine​ ​the graph from month 22 to month 36 and answer the 
following questions. 
What is what happening to the graph from month 22 to month 36? What does that 
mean about the number of chickens? 
 

What are two plausible, natural reasons for the change in the number of chickens? 
 

Predict w
​ hy​ the graph leveled off from month 36 to month 48. 
 
 
Part D (4pts)​:  

Which trophic level do the chickens belong in?  

 

Why did you place them at that level?  

 
Propose a food chain containing the chickens and at least two other organisms.  
         

Hypothesize how the change in chicken population affected other trophic levels O
​ R 
hypothesize how the populations of other trophic levels affected the chicken 
population. 
 
 
Part E (optional) (2pts):​ Design an experiment or study to test your hypothesis from 
part D. 
 
 
 
Please
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