ECOL 3505H Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Logarithmic Scale, Arithmetic Logic Unit, Exponential Growth
19 Aug 2016
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Population growth has been exponential even with horrible diseases like the bubonic plague. Interactions can be viewed at two levels of organization. One lynx, one hare we know what"s going to happen. The net ecological outcome is determined by both levels. In general, translating individual dynamics to population-level phenomenon is very difficult. The following is admittedly simplistic, but captures the spirit of the problem. We need to understand populations because ecological interactions are influenced by density. It"s too difficult to study every two-way interaction. Studies usually cannot study theories on a small scale because of complications. Why does n change over time? (n = population numbers) Look at population sizes to years in the past and understand the differences in density. = rate of change in density or a per capita growth factor if it is 1>, the population increased from the past year if it is <1, the population decreased from the past year.
