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Population Regulation in the Serengeti

An Interrupted Case Study

Population Regulation in the Serengeti

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Populations in Serengeti National Park

Speaking: Tony Sinclair, University of British Columbia

Population Regulation in the Serengeti

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What Happened to Migratory Wildebeest? (1958–1978)

Speaking: Tony Sinclair, University of British Columbia

Population Regulation in the Serengeti

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Migratory Wildebeest from 1958–1978 (Part A)

Which symbol represents the number of wildebeest? Which represents the prevalence (%) of wildebeest with rinderpest?

How do you know?

Population Regulation in the Serengeti

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Migratory Wildebeest from 1958–1978 (Part B)

Consider the population growth curve shown. What type of growth is this?

exponential
linear
logistic
geometric

What would happen to the population in the long term?

Population Regulation in the Serengeti

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Procedure: Ask students to consider the clicker question individually, then discuss it in pairs. Next, have students brainstorm what may happen to a population if it continues growing exponentially. You may want to provide specific predictions for what will happen, such as the population leveling off, crashing, or declining.

Clicker question: The answer is A) exponential. This question is a probe to help you recognize the extent to which your students understand the terms “exponential” and “logistic.” Some may have learned about them in math class but have not yet applied them to biology. If many of your students struggle with these terms, you will want to provide additional explanations and support.

Taking it further: If you would like to focus more on exponential and logistic growth, check out the Population Dynamics Click & Learn (https://www.biointeractive.org/classroom-resources/population-dynamics).

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What Happened to Migratory Wildebeest? (1978–2003)

Speaking: Tony Sinclair, University of British Columbia

Population Regulation in the Serengeti

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Migratory Wildebeest from 1978–2003 (Part A)

Consider the entire population growth curve shown. What type of growth is this?

exponential
linear
logistic
geometric

Population Regulation in the Serengeti

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Migratory Wildebeest from 1978–2003 (Part B)

What is the approx. carrying capacity of the wildebeest population?

800,000
900,000
1,300,000
1,500,000

Population Regulation in the Serengeti

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What Limits the Migratory Wildebeest Population?

Speaking: Simon Mduma, Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute

Population Regulation in the Serengeti

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