Question

Two species have the same initial population size of 45.00 , as well as rates of b=0.83 and d=0.68. However, species A reproduces seasonally and species B reproduces relatively continuously. How much bigger would the population of species B be after five years as compared to species A ?

Answer 1

Both species have same growth rates using the formula r = b - d, but species B's continuous reproduction might lead to a larger population after five years.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question involves calculating the difference in population sizes of two species (A and B) after five years. Both species have the same initial population size and rates of birth (b=0.83) and death (d=0.68), but they differ in their reproduction patterns: species A reproduces seasonally, and species B reproduces continuously. Using the per capita growth rate formula r = b - d, we can determine that the growth rate r for both species is the same. However, the continuous reproduction of species B may result in a different actual growth pattern compared to the seasonal reproduction of species A. The continuous reproduction could lead to a larger population size over time for species B. We can use the formula for exponential growth (Nt = N0ert) to predict the population sizes after five years; however, a complete calculation would also take into account the differences in reproductive timing.