Chapter 4, Problem 19A

Summary Introduction

To analyze:

The shape of population growth curve for a game park in which a male and female rhinoceros are released.

Introduction:

Population growth is the change in numbers of individuals of a species in an area over time. Population is a group of organisms of the same species living together. Two types of population growth curve are exponential and logistic growth curve. The logistic curve is a shape of the population for a game park in which a male and female rhinoceros are released.

Explanation of Solution

The logistic growth curve is also known as S − shaped growth curve in which the population density of an organism increases slowly. The population reaches an exponential growth rate as in the J curve shape, but then declines until at zero growth rate for stabilizing population.

The decline phase increases the environment resistance factors, which becomes proportionally more important at higher population densities. The point of stabilization is the saturation value or carrying capacity of the environment.

In the below logistic or S shaped graph represent initially an exponential phase, it means the male and female rhinoceros meet and reproduced.

The plateau phase represents female rhinoceros becomes pregnant and no ovulation period. The young ones of these pair would grow and start reproducing which will eventually result in a period of log phase, but as soon as the population reaches to the carrying capacity, the population will be stable.

  

Figure: Logistic or S shaped growth curve

Conclusion

The logistic curve is shape of population for a game park in which a male and female rhinoceros are released.