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Multiple Choice
A wildlife biologist is trying to predict what will happen to a bear population if bear hunting is banned. He had the equations all worked out but then realized that he had grossly underestimated the amount of food available to the bears. To make his prediction more accurate he should __________ the value of __________ in his equation. (Consider food to be a factor that limits the size of the bear population.)
A
decrease; N
B
increase; N
C
decrease; K
D
decrease; r
E
increase; K
Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand the concept of carrying capacity (K): In ecology, carrying capacity refers to the maximum number of individuals in a population that the environment can support sustainably. It is influenced by factors such as food availability, habitat space, and other resources.
Identify the role of food availability: Since food is a limiting factor for the bear population, an increase in food availability would allow the environment to support a larger population of bears.
Recognize the impact on carrying capacity (K): With more food available, the carrying capacity (K) of the environment increases, meaning the environment can support more bears.
Consider the equation used by the biologist: The biologist's equation likely includes the carrying capacity (K) as a variable. To make the prediction more accurate, he should adjust the value of K to reflect the increased food availability.
Conclude the adjustment needed: The biologist should increase the value of K in his equation to account for the underestimated food availability, which will lead to a more accurate prediction of the bear population size.