Population Growth in an Ecosystem Cornell Notes page 157

1. Why does the population of predators increase when the population of prey increases? 2. Why does the population of prey decrease as the population of predators increases?

What might happen if we removed the predators from the area?

Limiting Factors Resources, such as food, water, and living space are limited, and therefore limit the size of a population.

3. Floods can deposit nutrients in the soil which help producers grow 3. Floods can deposit nutrients in the soil which help producers grow. How might this affect an ecosystem? 4. Droughts are periods of time in which an area experiences an unusually low amount of water. How might this affect an ecosystem? 5. A wild fire clears out the brush in a forest. How might this affect an ecosystem?

Carrying Capacity The largest population that a an environment can sustain (support for indefinite amount of time).

Carrying Capacity Can change if something in ecosystem is changed ex.) floods, drought, wild fires, overgrazing, deforestation, invasive species

What determines what the carrying capacity of a population will be? Think and Discuss: What determines what the carrying capacity of a population will be? Do you think a population can ever be larger than its carrying capacity? What do you think would happen if a population did grow larger than its carrying capacity?

How else do predators and prey affect each other? Think and Discuss: How else do predators and prey affect each other?

Consider the Peppered Moth…

Here they are, again, on a tree.

After the Industrial Revolution, the trees were covered with soot and pollution…

Predator Adaptations Goldenrod

http://travel. nationalgeographic http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/traveler-magazine/photo-contest/2013/entries/gallery/outdoor-scenes-week-2/?source=hp_dl4_travel_photo_contest_20130429

Prey Adaptations camouflage

Defensive chemicals

Warning Coloration

Mimicry

Venomous Red Coral Snake Harmless Red Milk Snake