Question

2003 289
2004 337
2005 352
2006 409
2007 526
2008 611
2009 673
2010 731
2011 603
2012 651
2013 619
2014 632
questions:

1. what type of growth curve is represented from 1996 to 2010?
2. what factors do you think contributed to this growth?
3. what type of growth curve is represented from 1996 - 2014?
4. what is the approximate carrying capacity of this population?
5. what types of limiting factors may have caused the population to level off? name both density - dependent and density - independent factors.

Explanation:

1. From 1996 - 2010, the population first shows exponential - like growth (increasing at an accelerating rate until around 2010) and then stabilizes. This is a logistic growth curve as it has an initial growth phase followed by a leveling - off phase.
2. Factors contributing to growth could include availability of resources (food, space), lack of predators or diseases in the early stages, and favorable environmental conditions.
3. From 1996 - 2014, it is a logistic growth curve. After initial growth, the population levels off around a certain value.
4. The carrying capacity is approximately the value around which the population stabilizes. Looking at the data from 2011 - 2014, it seems to be around 600 - 650.
5. Density - dependent factors could include competition for resources (as population increases, resources become scarcer), spread of diseases (more individuals in a given area can lead to easier disease transmission). Density - independent factors could include natural disasters (floods, earthquakes) or extreme weather events that affect the population regardless of its density.

Answer:

1. Logistic growth curve
2. Availability of resources, lack of predators/diseases, favorable environment
3. Logistic growth curve
4. Approximately 600 - 650
5. Density - dependent: competition for resources, disease spread; Density - independent: natural disasters, extreme weather