Final answer:
A fast-reproducing species colonizing an area with reduced competition would likely show exponential population growth, as seen in bacteria grown in labs. In the long term, population growth in the wild typically shows logistic growth due to limited resources. Declines in food sources due to pollution or overfishing negatively affect animal populations like seals.
Step-by-step explanation:
A fast-reproducing species that colonizes an area after a disturbance would likely show exponential population growth. This occurs because the competition has been reduced and resources have become readily available, allowing the population to increase rapidly. An example of exponential growth is c bacteria growing in an enriched medium in a lab, where they can reproduce quickly due to abundant nutrients.
However, in the real world, resources are not infinite. Population growth eventually slows down as resources become limited, leading to logistic growth. This is described by the logistic growth model, which incorporates the carrying capacity of the environment, representing the limit to the number of individuals that can be supported.
If the major food source of seals declines due to pollution or overfishing, then the seal population would be negatively affected. Their population growth would likely slow down or even decrease as a result of the reduced availability of food, leading to higher mortality rates and lower reproduction rates among the seals.