4. what is the carrying capacity on the graph? how do you know? what does this tell you about the…

Question 3a: Define Abiotic & Biotic, give examples of Limiting Factors for each

Brief Explanations:

• Abiotic Definition: Non - living components of an ecosystem (e.g., climate, soil, water, minerals). Limiting Factor Examples: Temperature (too hot/cold limits species), Soil pH (affects plant growth), Water availability (in arid areas limits populations).
• Biotic Definition: Living or once - living components of an ecosystem (e.g., plants, animals, bacteria, dead organic matter). Limiting Factor Examples: Predation (e.g., wolves limiting deer population), Competition (e.g., plants competing for sunlight), Disease (e.g., a virus affecting a bird population).

Answer:

• Abiotic
  • Definition: Non - living chemical and physical parts of the environment that affect living organisms and the functioning of ecosystems.
  • Limiting Factors Examples: Temperature, Soil pH, Water availability.
• Biotic
  • Definition: Living components (organisms or their products) within an ecosystem, including plants, animals, fungi, bacteria, and dead organic matter.
  • Limiting Factors Examples: Predation, Competition, Disease.

Question 4a: Carrying Capacity on the Graph (Deer Population on WallaWalla Island)

Brief Explanations:

1. Identify Carrying Capacity: The carrying capacity ($K$) is the maximum population size of a species that the environment can sustainably support. On the deer population graph, look for the population level that the deer population stabilizes around (or the peak before a decline, depending on the graph's shape). If the graph shows the deer population rising, then falling, but there's a level it seems to approach or stabilize at, that's $K$. For example, if the graph has the deer population reaching around 80 (from the y - axis labels: 20, 40, 80, 100) and then adjusting, 80 might be the carrying capacity (assuming the graph's data).
2. How to Know: Carrying capacity is indicated by the population size that the ecosystem can support over time, considering resource availability (food, water, space) and limiting factors (biotic and abiotic). When the population exceeds $K$, resources become scarce, and the population declines until it's at a level the environment can support.
3. What it Tells About the Ecosystem: The carrying capacity tells us about the ecosystem's ability to support the deer population. It reflects the balance between the deer's resource needs (food, shelter) and the ecosystem's resource availability (e.g., how much vegetation is available for deer to eat, how much space there is). If the deer population exceeds $K$, it suggests over - utilization of resources, which can lead to a decline in the deer population and potentially affect other species in the ecosystem (e.g., if deer overgraze, plant species may decline, affecting insects or small mammals that depend on those plants).

Answer:

• Carrying Capacity: Based on the y - axis (number of deer: 20, 40, 80, 100) and the graph's trend, the carrying capacity is likely around 80 deer (this depends on the exact graph shape, but from the labels, 80 is a key level).
• How We Know: The carrying capacity is the maximum population the environment can sustain. The deer population's trend (rising then adjusting) shows the environment's limit on population size, with 80 being the level the ecosystem can support long - term (considering resource limits like food, space).
• What it Tells About the Ecosystem: It shows the ecosystem's resource limits (e.g., food, space for deer). If deer exceed 80, resources (like vegetation for food) become scarce, causing the population to decline, indicating the ecosystem's ability to support the deer population is limited by available resources and limiting factors.