Module 8

Module 8—Populations, Individuals, and Gene Pools

 

Discuss

 

On the discussion board, brainstorm with other students and/or your teacher as to what technologies might assist field biologists in their counts of dangerous animals, highly mobile species (e.g., insects, migratory organisms), aquatic organisms, and very small species. Assume your work will be supported with a finite and reasonable amount of time and money. List several of these technologies in your course notes. Reflect on the technologies suggested by other students and adjust your response as required.

 

Self-Check

 

SC 4. Complete questions 5, 6, and 7 on page 709 of your textbook.

 

SC 5. Assume you have been asked to study a black spruce population in a bog area consisting of 100 km2. Your team has counted the black spruce in five randomly chosen 1-km2 sample areas (called quadrats) within the study area. You will find the counts for each of the five sample quadrats in the chart below. Determine N (total population size) for black spruce in the 100-km2 parcel of land, and Dp (the average density) of black spruce trees per 1 km2.

 

Sample (1 km2)	N black spruce
1	14
2	0
3	8
4	6
5	2

 

 

Reflect on the Big Picture

 

Reflect on the significance of knowing the size of populations when considering the concepts that you have learned in this module. Each concept assumes that someone has gone out into the habitat and actually counted the organisms being studied or that random sampling techniques have been used. For example, in Hardy-Weinberg calculations in a population of 15 black bears living in an area of 100 km2, two of the bears have the homozygous recessive genotype that produces the white Spirit Bear phenotype. The assumption is that a field biologist actually went out and either counted the bears directly or used the random sampling technique to estimate the size of the total black bear population and the number of Spirit Bears within that population. When the wildlife manager determines that the Spirit Bear population has risen by 4% over five years, we know that the wildlife manager applied the formula gr to determine this number. 

 

Population studies are often based on data about the numbers of individuals that have certain phenotypes or alleles. Without the work of field biologists, much of  the analysis of genetic change and evolution cannot be carried out. As you reflect on the concepts of quantitative analysis in population studies, consider the significance of population counts and their significance in understanding and managing populations and population change.

 

Self-Check

 

SC 6. To review the concepts of this lesson and prepare for your assessment, complete the “Procedure” questions from “Thought Lab 20.1: Distribution Patterns and Population Size Estimates,” on page 706 of your textbook.

 

 

Self-Check

 

SC 7. Describe each of the following as random, clumped, or uniform distribution.

1. usually seen in artificial or agricultural species
   
   
2. occurs where resources are abundant and there is little competition
   
   
3. occurs where organisms are territorial

 

You are now ready to apply your understanding to the following assignment.

 

Module 8:  Lesson 9 Assignment

 

In this assignment you will have the opportunity to analyze data on moose populations that was collected by field biologists working for the Fish and Wildlife Division of the Alberta Government. You will be given the data to analyze in much the same way that wildlife managers do. You will also be asked to draw conclusions and make recommendations on the basis of the analyzed data.

 

Retrieve your copy of Module 8: Lesson 9 Assignment that you saved to your computer earlier in this lesson. Complete the assignment and save your completed assignment in your course folder. Submit your completed Module 8: Lesson 9 Assignment to your teacher for assessment.

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