Final answer:
The most likely change in beetle population due to environmental pollution is an increase in dark-colored beetles, as they are better camouflaged against the darkened trunks. Tree populations after a flood likely exhibit a logistic growth pattern, with population increases stabilizing over time. Vole populations that see a sudden increase in offspring survival may grow rapidly until encountering other limiting factors.
Step-by-step explanation:
The population dynamics of beetles in response to environmental changes, such as pollution, can be understood through the lens of natural selection. If we assume that pollution has darkened the tree trunks where beetles hide, the population would likely evolve toward an increased prevalence of dark-colored beetles. This change enhances camouflage, improving survival against predation, hence leading to a larger population of dark-colored beetles over time. This is an example of directional selection, where environmental factors favor one extreme phenotype over others within a population.
In terms of tree populations, environmental events like floods can initially be devastating. However, the data likely show recovery over the subsequent years, as the surviving trees would repopulate the area. This recovery phase can demonstrate a logistic growth pattern, with a rapid increase in population size that stabilizes as resources become limited. Predicting the future growth trend would depend on factors such as resource availability, continued environmental pressures, or the presence of disease and predators.
If an insect population like the voles experiences a sudden increase in the survival rate of offspring, we can infer that a significant change occurred in the environment or in the species' biology. This could be due to reduced predation, an increase in food availability, or other favorable conditions. As a result, the population size would increase dramatically until it reaches the carrying capacity of the ecosystem or becomes regulated by other factors like disease or resource scarcity.