## April 4, 2012

### Modeling Population Growth

This graph demonstrates a population growth in sparrows with the factor of a carrying capacity. The population is at a constant rate of increase but every 50 years the carrying capacity changes. The equation above was used to graph this data. To get the population you need the previous population and times it by the rate of increase and the carrying capacity at that time in the population plus the previous population. Carrying capacity is a measure of resources available to the population, since resources are limited it affects the growth of a population. As the population approaches the carrying capacity of the environment, the rate of increase of the population approaches 0. During current times this occurs in some populations of species because of the constant change in the environment the carrying capacity also changes. The lower the carrying capacity gets the lower the population will be allowed to grow, leading to a decline in a population. We should care about this because humans are a reason why a carrying capacity declines. Such as when we destroy places for species to occupy and resources for them to survive.