Question

what is a population? a collection on individuals living in the same habitat members of the same species who live in the same area at the same time a community of different species living in the same area at the same time. question 2 1 / 1 pts suppose that your trap 255 stickleback fish in a lab and mark them by clipping the first spine off their dorsal fins. one month later, you return to the lake and capture a total of 162 stickleback fish. 78 of these fish are marked. what is the estimated population size of stickleback fish in this lake? 50 123 530 4814

Answer 1

A population is a group of the same species living and interacting in a specific area, such as a butterfly population in a meadow. The estimated population size of stickleback fish in the lake, using the mark and recapture method with initial 255 marked and 78 recaptured marked out of 162 total recaptured, is approximately 530.

Step-by-step explanation:

A population is a group of organisms belonging to the same species that live in the same area and interact with one another. This interaction might involve reproduction, competition for resources, or various other forms of interaction within a shared habitat. For instance, a population of butterflies in a meadow or a population of salmon in a stream both represent groups of the same species living and interacting in a specific area.

Estimating Population Size

Ecologists use methods like mark and recapture to estimate the size of wildlife populations. In this scenario, 255 stickleback fish are captured, marked, and released. Later, 162 fish are recaptured with 78 being previously marked. To estimate the population size, we employ a simple proportion:

Initial Marked / Total Population = Recaptured Marked / Captured Second Time
By cross-multiplying and solving for the Total Population, we get:

(255 x 162) / 78 ≈ 530
Therefore, the estimated population size of stickleback fish in the lake is approximately 530.