MarisaCalistro

BIOL1120

PopulationGrowthGraphs
Generation
1
2
3
4
5

NumberofPlants
33
1,089
35,937
1,185,921
39,135,393

Exponential Population Growth

Exponential Growth (Log Scale)

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BIOL1120

PopulationGrowthResponse
1. Therewere33seedsinmyinitialpeppertorepresentmyfirstgeneration.
2. Onlyafter5generations,therewere39,135,393peppersaliveinmypopulation.
3. Byjustthevisualofmyexponentialpopulationgrowthchart,itlookedlikethere
wasaslowincreaseinthepopulationsizebeforeitquicklyangledupward.The
4thgenerationwasonly3%ofthetotalpopulationinthe5thgeneration,which
meantthepopulationincreasedsuddenlyby97%.Ontheotherhand,my
exponentialgrowth(logscale)wasonasteadyincreaseoverthe5generations,
buthadnosuddenchangesinthelineunlikethepopulationgrowthchart.
4. Environmentalfactorsthatlimitthenaturalorwildpopulation(s):
I.
NaturalDisasters
II.
Disease/Illness
III.
ClimateChanges
IV.
NaturalPredators
V. HumanExpansionintoWildlife
5.
EnvironmentalFactorsImpacts
Regardingspecifically,thepopulationbellpeppers,theycanbesubjectedtoallof
theseenvironmentalfactors.Anaturaldisaster,suchasatornadoorwildfire,couldtear
throughafarmlandanddamagesaidcrop,decreasingthepopulation.Thesamething
couldalsobesaidforanyotherpopulation,whetheritsabioticorbioticlife.Humans
areanotherexample,andgoodexamplesofnaturaldisastersthatclaimedpartofour
populationbeforearehurricanesorearthquakes;bellpeppersincludedtoo.
Ahottopic(nopunintended)isclimatechange.Itissaiditiscausedbythefumes
humansputintheairthatdamagetheozoneandthusallowmoreheatfromthesunto
penetrateouratmosphere.Duetothis,therearecertainpopulationsthatrelyoncolder
temperaturestosurvivesuccessfully.Anarticfoxisiconicforitswhitefurinthewinter,
butdoeschangeorangeduringthesummer.However,duetomajorclimatechanges,it
warmsupsoonerinthewinterseasonandmeltsthesnowfaster.Thearticfoxcoatdoes
notchangetoitsorangecolorunlessitisJulyAugust.Ifthesnowmeltstoosoon,the
articfoxismoreexposedtoitshuntedpreybecausetheirwhitecoatstandsoutfromthe
tundrasusualsummercolors.Duetolackofsubstantialfood,thearticfoxspopulation
isindangerofadecreaseofpopulationsizeandanincreaseindeathtolls.
Thiscanalsogohandinhandwithnaturalpredators.Thearticfoxisnotatthe
topofthefoodchaininthecoldtundra,anditswhitecoatexposingitinthesummercan
exposeittoitsnaturalpredatorsinfinitely.Wolvesthatliveonthetundraliveahardlife
aswell,butifanaturalpreyismoreexposed,predatorsonsaidpreyincreases.Thewolf

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BIOL1120

isthenaturalpredatorofthearticfox.Yet,wolvesarenottheonlypredators.Humans
outonahuntforpelts,especiallythearticfoxeswhitecoat,canmoreeasilyseethem
standoutinthefield.
Thatisnottheonlywaypeoplecanalsohurtpopulationsofwildlife.Themost
significantdamagewehavetakenonpopulationgrowthisincreaseourowntothepoint
whereweexpandfurtherandfurtherintonaturalwildlife.Takingawayfoodsources,
watersources,andhomesfromotherpopulationsofvariousanimalsdecreasethe
population.Humanexpansioncanalsocauseimmediatedeathwhenotherpopulations,
thatwemoreoftenthannotseeasanuisance,crossintoourexpandedhomes.Bearsand
cougarsthatliveinthemountainswillsometimestraveldownintoourcommunitiesin
searchoffoodduewhichmaynotbeavailabletothemduetootherenvironmentalfactors
affectingtheirpreypopulations.Rummagingthroughtrashcansorhomes,theyseekout
foodforthemselvesandpossibleyoung.Oncetheyareseeninourterritory,itismost
commontoimmediatelyeuthanizetheanimaltoensurethesafetyofourown.
Unavoidabletoanypopulation,abioticorbiotic,arediseasesorillnesses.Inthe
humanpopulation,cancerisadiseasethatclaimslivesdailyandhasnocureyet.For
plants,whensoilorwaterbecomescontaminated,itcankilloffmanyinitspopulation.
Sometimes,illnessesthataffectonepopulationmaycrossoverintoanotheranddecrease
thepopulationsizes.