ECOLOGY EXAM
Question 1.
a) A closed population is a population whereby there is no immigration or emigration in the
existing population, population size is only affected by births or deaths in the population.
Examples of such populations are island populations, cave communities, small lakes
communities, ant colonies and laboratory populations.
b) The probability that a female Stickleback will survive its first year of life to the next age
class (S1) is given by the ratio of survivors at age 1 (S1) to the initial age (S0). Therefor
S1= S1/S0 =53/530=0.1
There is a 10% chance there that the female Sticklebacks will survive to the next age
class.
c) To determine if the population is in a state of increase or decrease, we must evaluate the
net reproductive rate RO, If RO>1 then the population is increasing, but if it is R O<1 then
the population is decreasing,
RO=∑bx∙Sx/ S0
X Sx bx bxSx
0 530 0 0
1 53 5 265
2 20 15 300
3 0 0 0
∑bx∙Sx=0+265+300+0=565
RO=565/530= 1.066
Since RO>1 therefore the population is increasing in size.
d) The average generation time T =∑Sx∙x/ RO=(530x0+53x1+20x2+0x0)/1.066=1.4 years
e) Instantaneous growth rate can be estimated for this data using the Euler-Lotka equation
ln RO=r∙T
r= ln ROT=ln1.066x 1.4
=0.4003
f) If the population dynamics does not change, the age structure after two years can be
estimated as follows:
Survivors for year 0:500x S1= 500∙0.1= 50 individuals
Newborns from year 0:500xbx=500x5= 2500 individuals
Survivors from year 1: 50xS2= 50x0.1= 5 individuals.
Survivors from year 0:500*S2=500*0.1=50 individuals.
Therefor the population structure after 2 years would be:
Age 1: 5 individuals
Age 2: 50 individuals
Question 2
a) Average annual growth rate (r):
r=ln(N2010/N2000)/number of years
1. Calculations of the average population density in 2000 and 2010:
2000: ln(143.5 + 194.7 + 139.0 + 118.8 + 119.4 + 180.3 + 162.5) / 7 = ln151.17 ind./km²=5.018
2010: ln(116.1 + 78.4 + 138.6 + 113.0 + 52.9 + 51.4 + 74.2) / 7 = ln89.23 ind./km²=4.49
2. Calculation of the relative change in population density over 10 years: Change = (89.23 –
151.17) / 151.17 = -0.4097
3. Converting the relative change to an annual rate by taking the 10 th root: r = -0.40971/10 = -
0.9146 = -91.46%
b) Population density in 2014 (N2014):
Applying the exponential growth formula with r = 0.10 y-1 and N2012 = 90 ind./km²
N2014 = N2012ert = 90e0.10x2 = 109.93 ind./km²
r=ln(N2010)/number of years=5.018
r=ln(N2000)/number of years=4.49
c) Impact of fox population
The influx of foxes will exert predation pressure on the rabbit population, potentially causing to
several possible effects:
Increased mortality: Fox predation will directly reduce the number of rabbits, leading to a
decrease in their population size.
Age structure change: Predation might target specific age groups (e.g., juveniles as they are easy
to hunt) more heavily, altering the overall age distribution of the rabbit population.
Behavioral changes: Rabbits may adapt to the predator presence and pressure by exhibiting
increased vigilance, changing foraging patterns, or avoiding areas with high fox population
density.
d) Relationship between αVP and βVP:
αVP represents the rate at which the foxes prey on rabbits per unit area. It is the product of three
factors:
α: Attack rate (number of attacks per predator per unit time)
V: Abundance of rabbits
P: Abundance of predators
βVP represents the rate at which the predator reproduces per unit of prey population. It is the
product of two factors:
β: Conversion efficiency (amount of rabbit biomass converted to predator biomass)
VP: Same as αVP, representing the interaction between rabbit and predator abundance
Both terms are intertwined, but they have contrasting effects:
αVP reduces the rabbit population by representing the number of rabbits consumed by foxes.
βVP increases the predator population by representing the number of resources gained from
consuming rabbits.
e) Implications of functional response type 2:
If the predator follows a functional response type 2, the model’s predictions will change in
several ways:
Predator consumption rate: Instead of increasing linearly with prey density, it will reach a plateau
at a certain prey density (saturation point).
Predator population growth: The predator population will not grow exponentially when prey
density is high. It will be limited by its own carrying capacity and other factors.
Stability of the system: The predator-prey system might exhibit more stable oscillations as the
predator population cannot exploit unlimited prey resources.
f) Factors determining maximal feeding rate:
For a predator with a type 2 functional response, the maximal feeding rate is determined by:
Handling time: Time taken to subdue and consume a single prey item.
Search rate: Rate at which the predator encounters prey.
Encounter rate: Frequency of encountering prey, which depends on both predator and prey
population densities.
The predator can only consume up to a certain number of preys per unit time due to these
limitations. Once it reaches its maximal feeding rate, it cannot eat any more prey, regardless of
their abundance.
