Name Jamina P. Jamaloding Date Nov.

17, 2020

Lab: Population Ecology Graphs

ECOLOGY

Introduction: The ability to interpret graphs and tables is a necessary skill in science but also
finds use in everyday life. In articles or textbooks you are likely to find graphs and tables.
Understanding the article’s message depends heavily on being able to interpret many
different types of graphs and tables. In science tables are used to provide information.
Frequently one quantity in a table depends upon or is related to another. Data from tables can
be graphed to aid interpretation. Graphs give a visual representation of the data that helps to
reveal regularities and patterns.

Procedure: Answer the following questions regarding the graphs below.

I. Bacteria reproduce by splitting in half. It takes about 20 minutes, under ideal conditions, for a
bacteria population to double.

Analysis Questions
1. Describe what is happening to the population of bacteria.

The population of bacteria is getting larger and it also grow faster.

2. Is the rate of population growth constant or variable?

The population reproduce at a constant rate.

3. What do we call this type of growth?

This type of graph have J-shaped curve, that’s why we call this Exponential Growth.
II. White pine became extinct in northern Minnesota during the last period of glaciation, although
it remained in southern climates such as Virginia. Once the glaciers began to retreat, the white
pine began to expand northward again; it reappeared in northern Minnesota about 9400 years
ago, this is time 0 in the graph

Analysis Questions

1. What happens to the population growth after 110 years?

The population of the white pines decreased after 110 years

2. What is the carrying capacity of white pine in this ecosystem?

The carrying capacity of the white pine in this ecosystem was about 400 where the graph
levels off after the highest point.

3. What factors would affect the carrying capacity of white pines?

The factors that would affect the carrying capacity of the white pines were glaciers,
tornadoes, plant disease, predators (insects), etc.

4. How is it possible that the white pine population reached 462 individuals at year 110?
What happen to the population from 110 years to 140 years?

The white pine population was able to reach a high point of 462 when carrying capacity
was 400 due to possibility of more rain or change in the food chain ( deer population
decreased, tree grew). Between 110 years and 140 years the white pine population
decreased quickly and then came back a little.
III. Ecological Studies of Wolves and Moose on Isle Royale
Isle Royale is the largest island located in Lake Superior. The island is approximately 45 miles in
length and 9 miles wide. Isle Royale consists of Isle Royale (main island) and multiple smaller
islands. Isle Royale is about 12 miles south of Canada, 20 miles Southeast of Grand Portage,
Minnesota and 53 miles north of Copper Harbor, Michigan. Isle Royale National Park was
established in 1940, designated a wilderness area in 1976 and an International Biosphere
Reserve in 1980. Isle Royale is a remote island, the only mode of transportation available is by
boat or seaplane.

Moose first arrived at Isle Royale around 1900. The moose population tends to increase in
years with mild winters, early spring green-up, abundant winter forage, low wolf numbers and
low levels of tick infestation. Wolves first arrived at the island on an ice bridge from Canada in
1940. Disease has also influenced the wolf population. Between 1980 and 1982, the wolf
population declined from 50 to 14, due to canine parvovirus.
The Isle Royale wolves and moose have been studied since 1959. This Isle Royale wolf-moose
study is unique because it entails just a single predator (the wolf) and a single prey (the moose)
on a small island with very little human influence. This is the longest continuous study of a
predator and its prey.

Analysis Questions
1. What is the greatest moose population?
There were 2500 moose

What year did that occur?

In 1995

What was the wolf population when the moose population the greatest?
there were about 15 wolves
 2. What would happen to the moose population if the wolf population decreases?

The amount of moose would increase.

3. What would happen to the wolf population if the moose population decreases?

The wolves would decrease because moose are a major food source for them

4. What would happen to the moose population if the wolves were removed from Isle
Royale?

The amount of moose would increase a lot, but would eventually decrease due to
limiting factors

5. Describe the pattern between the wolf population in relation to the moose population.

They depend on each other. if the moose increase then the wolves have more food
and increase, but if the moose decrease then the wolves decrease and have less food.

6. Identify a factor, other than moose population, that has influenced the wolf population
in Isle Royale.

It would be parvovirus.

7. Identify two factors, other than the wolf population, that may influence the moose
population.

The other two factors that may

influence the moose
population are the climate and
ticks.

IV. A population pyramid, also called an

age structure diagram, is a graphical
illustration that shows the distribution of
various age groups in a human
population (typically that of a country or region of the world), which ideally forms the shape of a
pyramid when the region is healthy.

It typically consists of two back-to-back bar graphs, with the population plotted on the X-axis and
age on the Y-axis, one showing the number of males and one showing females in a particular
population in five-year age groups (also called cohorts). Males are conventionally shown on the
left and females on the right, and they may be measured by raw number or as a percentage of
the total population.

Population pyramids are often viewed as the most effective way to graphically depict the age
and sex distribution of a population, partly because of the very clear image these pyramids
present.

The age-structure diagram shown above was prepared for China. Answer the following
questions based on these data.

Analysis Questions
1. Normally, healthy populations produce graphs that are pyramidal in shape. What do
you think caused the base of this pyramid to “shrink”?

The opposite of natural increase is called natural decrease, where more people are
dying than babies being born, which can cause a population to shrink. In this
Population graph in china, areas with aging populations often have natural decrease.

2. If you were an importer of goods to China, what age group(s) do you think you would
focus on the most? Why?

Probably ages 15 and 39 because Companies focus on what age group has the most
amount of people and seeing that ages 15-39 have the highest rates this can help to
boost your trading company.

3. What is the youngest group that shows more males than females?

At the age of 15-19.

4. At what age did it appear that females again outnumbered males?

5. At the age of 80+