6) Prairie dogs are a small rodent species that are in the squirrel family. Prairie dogs reach sexual maturity at two years of age. Prairie dogs reproduce once a year after they reach sexual maturity and usually give birth to up to 8 offspring each year. After 9 weeks of age, offspring are able to live independently from their mothers. The expected lifespan of a prairie dog in the wild is approximately 5 years, although many prairie dogs are killed by predators within their first year of life. Prairie dog population sizes fluctuate by up to 25% year-to-year depending on changes in environmental conditions, food resources, predator abundance, and the abundances of competitor species.
Based on the life history characteristics of prairie dogs, as described above, would you characterize prairie dogs as an r- or K-selected species?
7) Imagine we were going to use the equation Nt+1 = Nt + (r x Nt) to predict the population size of prairie dogs in 2005 based on the population size in 2004 and the differences between birth and death rates (growth rate).
Match the population parameters/measurements with the terms in the equation.
Population parameters/measurements:
- The predicted prairie dog population size in 2005
- The prairie dog population size in 2004
- The growth rate of the prairie dog population, calculated based on the difference in birth and death rates
- The number of individuals that will be added to the prairie dog population between 2004 and 2005
Terms in the equation ("x" = multiply):
- Nt+1
- r x Nt
- Nt
- r