Reflection
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BIOL-1120
October 22, 2017
The SLCC Learning Outcome that I would like to focus on in this reflection is Students develop quantitative literacies necessary for their chosen field of study. This includes approaching practical problems by choosing and applying appropriate mathematical techniques; using information represented as data, graphs, tables, and schematics in a variety of disciplines; applying mathematical theory, concepts, and methods of inquiry appropriate to program-specific problems.
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Introduction to Conservation Biology has helped to expand my knowledge of the biological world we live in, and given me a greater understanding of the importance of protecting the biodiversity it is home to. The population growth assignment gave me the opportunity to see how populations of species can increase exponentially in such a short period of time. By counting the seeds from one bell pepper and applying a mathematical formula, I was able to chart the exponential growth using quantitative skills to visually see the increase of a population over a five year period. This assignment also allowed me to ponder the impacts of unchecked growth on the species in question, along with the impact to other species, and also examine how humans affect the biodiversity of the world we share with many species.
How many seeds were in your initial pepper? This represents the first generation.
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I chose a red bell pepper that had 256 seeds.
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How many plants were alive in your pepper population after only 5 generations?
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After 5 generations there were a little over a trillion pepper plants. The exact number is 1,099,511,627,776.
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Describe your graph in detail (What does it demonstrate? What was the rate of growth? Etc.) – make sure you provide your graph!
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The Y-axis shows the number of plants that grew. The X-axis shows how many generations in years have occurred. The graph shows minimal growth in the first 4 years (relatively speaking), however in year 5, the growth of the population of pepper plants jumps from 4 billion to 1 trillion as a result of exponential growth that began with the first generation. The increase in population goes from a small number to such a large number in a short period of time that my graph is not able to fully capture the j-curve associated with this exponential growth pattern.
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Explain at least four or five environmental/resistance factors that might limit natural or wild populations (not necessarily pepper plant or human populations).
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Climate change
Predation
Fire
Disease
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If a population were subjected to some of these environmental factors for many more generations, would you expect to see any changes in the population? Based on the information provided above, explain your answer (do not be too brief!)​
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If a population was subjected to climate change for too long, a portion of the population that cannot adapt to the changing environment would die out. The survivors may have to migrate to other areas where they would be subjected to conditions and factors different from what they’ve known such as predators, food source, temperatures, etc. This could have a worsening impact on the size of the population, and could also make it more difficult to reproduce.
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A population subjected to predation for too long would eventually see the size of the population dwindle to very low numbers making successful reproduction difficult, as would ensuring the young born survive to adulthood. Depletion of the food source of the predator would also have effects on that predator, driving them to other areas in search of a new food source, potentially disrupting the ecosystem of that area drastically.
Fire would result in loss of life for a portion of that population that could not escape the fire, and also a loss of habitat for those who survive. Survivors would be forced into other areas looking for new food and shelter. Fire can also affect the soil’s physical properties making regrowth of the native plants more difficult.
Disease is a concern because it can be widespread, wiping out large numbers of a population indiscriminately. Loss of habitat makes population more susceptible to disease as they are clustered together in smaller areas whereas disease can spread more easily than if they were further separated. Disease would affect the young, old and pregnant more harshly, making successful reproduction of a population more difficult.
Population Growth
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BIOL-1120
October 22, 2017
