Q6.1. What is the carrying capacity for moose in the simulation model of Isle Royale, prior to any changes in the climate?
Q6.2. The rate of plant growth on an island near Isle Royale is such that the carrying capacity of moose on the island is 400. Currently there are 400 moose present. The environment is stable and free of wolves. One day, 200 additional moose arrive on the island. What is the expected number of moose on the island 30 years later, assuming conditions do not change?
Q6.6. How does the average fat stores for moose when there are no wolves on Isle Royale compare to average fat stores when there are many wolves?
- Average fat stores without wolves is similar to that with wolves.
Average fat stores depends on how many wolves were initially introduced. - Average fat stores tends to be higher without wolves than with wolves.
- Average fat stores tends to be lower without wolves than with wolves.
- Q6.9. Wolves were hunted to extinction about a century ago in the eastern U.S. and Canada. Recently, wild wolves have made a return to eastern Canada. Wolves eat deer in this area, which otherwise have few natural predators. Based on your results in this lab, which is the best prediction for how the deer population will be affected by the return of wolves?Wolf predation will lead to a smaller deer population composed of healthier individuals, because more resources will be available for each surviving deer.Wolf predation will lead to a smaller deer population composed of less healthy individuals, because deer will waste time and energy avoiding wolves.Wolf predation will lead to a smaller population of deer that have about the same level of health as before, because wolves will lower the carrying capacity for deer.Wolf predation will lead to a larger deer population composed of healthier individuals, because wolves prey on the less healthy deer, allowing the deer population to thrive.
