TOPIC IN BIOLOGY: POPULATION GROWTH An example of a population growing exponenti
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Question
TOPIC IN BIOLOGY: POPULATION GROWTH
An example of a population growing exponentially that exceeded its carrying capacity occurred on Saint Paul Island of the coast of Alaska in the early part of the century. Reindeer were introduced to replace the native caribou which had been hunted to extinction. The reindeer found the island suitable to their needs and their population exploded. After the crash, the population started to grow again and has reached a stable size of 250 in the heard.
a. What would have happened had a predator been introduced to this area?
b. What is the new carrying capacity of this system?
c. Research 2 other areas where the introduction of a non-native organism has created problems for the ecosystem. What was the organism, why was it introduced, and what effects have it had?
Explanation / Answer
a) A predator addition would have kept the population under control. Addition of predator would not have resulted in a large increase of population and then a crash.
b) Carrying capacity is the ability of an ecosystem to support a population indefinitely. As per the graph, it looks like 250 animals is the new carrying capacity of this system.
c) There are many examples that caused concerns for ecosystem. Australian feral camel introduced from india to work as beast of burden. Australin conditions suits camel. They pose a threat to ecosystem with a medium to high threat level with their grazing. Another example would be european rabbits introduced to australia for recreational hunting. With their high reproductive rates, they became pests posing danger to the ecosystem.
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