Download What Limits Population Growth

What Limits Population Growth?
Name:_________________
Date:_________
Period:___
Standard(s):

BI.6.c.-Students know how fluctuations in population size in an ecosystem are
determined by the relative rates of birth, immigration, emigration, and death.
Learning Objective (s):
SWBAT…
 Understand the interaction between living and nonliving factors in an ecosystem.
 Describe how organic matter is cycled in ecosystems through different biological
processes.
 Explain the various factors that cause population increases and decreases in an
ecosystem.
Introduction:
 A limiting factor keeps a population size down. A factor can directly affect one
population in an area; the populations that depend on the affected group will be affected
indirectly. A limiting factor can directly affect all populations in an area.
Link:
 http://www.classzone.com/cz/books/bio_09/get_chapter_group.htm?cin=5&rg=an
imated_biology&at=animated_biology&var=animated_biology
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Right click on the link above and then click open hyperlink.
Then click on Chapter 14: What Limits Population Growth.
Read the introduction.
Click on the “continue” button.
Click each button on the left hand side of the screen and determine the effect of each
limiting factor on the populations of organisms in the ecosystem by reading the
information on the screen and examining the graph.
Fill in the table below using the data in the graph (ie population increase, population
decrease, population stayed the same)
Click reset and select another “Limiting Factor”.
Repeat steps 4-7.
Answer the analysis questions below.
Table.1 Effect of Limiting Factors on Population Growth
Limiting Factor
Nuts (population)
Chipmunks
(population)
Fire
Disease
Drought
Introduced Species
Foxes (population)
Analysis Questions:
1.) Create a food chain for the forest ecosystem in the simulation.
2.) What are some causes of changes in populations of organisms in ecosystems?
3.) What impact did the fire have on all the populations of organisms?
4.) What limiting factor caused an overall decrease in all the populations?
5.) How did the introduced species impact the fox population? Why?
6.) What would happen if more chipmunks immigrated to the forest ecosystem?
7.) How did abiotic (nonliving) factors impact the organisms in the ecosystem?