1: The owners should convert 300 acres of forest to cropland. In order to arrive at 300 acres of conversion as the ideal amount, the carrying capacity should be brought down to 35. The current carrying capacity is 50 deer, and the owners want the deer population down to 35. The carrying capacity decreases by 1% for each 10 acres converted, so a decrease of 30% would get the carrying capacity down to 35. Once it is understood that 300 acres is the ideal conversion, the exponential growth equation P(t)=Poe^rt will give the time it will take to reach the 35 deer goal. It is understood that every 100 acres converted gives a 1% increase over the initial growth rate of 5%. P(t) is the population after time, 35 deer. Po is the initial population, 10 deer. E^rt is the…show more content… Thus giving rise to the equation 35=10e^(0.08xt), solving for t (time) gives 16 years for the deer population to reach 35 deer.
2: This case is largely a result of a disruption of the food web in the Yellowstone area. Lake trout are not a naturally occurring species in Yellowstone Lake and have been illegally introduced. Lake trout kill cutthroat trout, which is a fish that grizzly bears feed on. In addition, the lake trout do not spawn like the cutthroat trout do which leaves them unavailable for the grizzly bears to prey on. Therefore, grizzly bears are forced to find their source of energy in other places. Due to the reduction of cutthroat trout grizzlies have begun to feed on elk calves. Elk calves feed on aspen trees and willow trees. However, due to a variety of reasons, including being eaten by grizzlies, it is found that 74% of elk calves in this area are not surviving their first year. It has also been found that a reintroduction of wolves to this area has severely declined the elk population as they also eat elk calves. Due to grizzlies feeding on elk,
