How Does Wolf Population Growth Impact Moose Numbers?

[apchemstudent]

The population of the wolves influences the change in population of the mooses. When the population of the wolves increase, the mooses' population also increase. From the population growth formula of the wolves

delta N/delta t = rN(K-N)/K

which factor affects the population of the mooses?

a)r

b)N

c)K

d) rN

e)delta t


I picked d) because N represents the initial population, which doesn't affect the population of the mooses if it doesn't change.

r is the rate of change in populations, which can affect it i guess but rN denotes the actual change in population.

K is the carrying capacity of the population of the wolves. It can affect the population of the mooses, but it does not directly affect it( it will result in the change in population of wolves and then change in mooses)

So i think the best answer is d)... What do you people think? please give an explanation for your answer. Thanks!

 

[Moonbear]

I agree with your choice of rN, which is the rate of change of the population of wolves. This is the most direct influence since the question states the population of moose increases with the population of wolves.

I would clarify that the carrying capacity, K, is not going to result in a change in the population of wolves either. Instead, it essentially describes the limit at which the population growth will plateau.

Be careful of confusing delta t and dt. Most bio texts don't emphasize this or go into any derivation of the formula, but only use delta t when talking about change in time, the dN/dt in the model for population growth is the result of differentiation. The reason this distinction is important in this question is that delta t would affect the population of moose (both populations would be affected by time), but dt, as a symbol for the differential, doesn't mean anything standing alone.

 

[ravenprp]

I agree with your reasoning that the best answer would be d) rN. This is because rN represents the actual change in population, which can directly affect the population of the mooses. As the population of the wolves increases, there will be more predators hunting the mooses, leading to a decrease in their population. On the other hand, if the population of wolves decreases, there will be less predators and the mooses' population may increase. So, the change in population of the wolves, represented by rN, has a direct impact on the population of the mooses.

Additionally, the other factors (a) r, b) N, c) K, and e) delta t) may indirectly affect the population of the mooses. For example, r (the rate of change) can affect the overall growth rate of the wolves, which can then indirectly affect the mooses' population. N (initial population) and K (carrying capacity) can also indirectly affect the mooses' population as they determine the maximum number of wolves that can survive in a given area, which in turn affects the number of predators hunting the mooses. Delta t (change in time) can also have an indirect impact on the mooses' population as it determines how quickly the population of wolves is changing.

Overall, while all the factors listed may have some influence on the population of the mooses, the most direct and immediate factor would be the change in population of the wolves (rN).