Introduction
The most basic definition of ecology is the study of population in nature. The most general attribute that a population has is its size, consequently this is the focus of many ecological models.
Objectives
In this Preliminary Activity, you will use a spreadsheet to model a simple exponential growth for one species. You will then explore the effects of carrying capacity, competition, and predators on population dynamics.
After completing the Preliminary Activity, you will first use reference sources to find out more about population dynamics before you choose and investigate a researchable question. Some topics to consider in your reference search are:
- populations
- communities
- herbivores
- predators
- population dynamics
- carrying capacity