Sea otters can eat 20%-23% of their body weight in food each day. An average sea otter weighs 23 kg (roughly 50 pounds), and there are 20-30 otters per square kilometer where they are present. An average sea urchin weighs 0.55 kg. Assuming that the otters eat only sea urchins, use these data to calculate a conservative estimate of the number of sea urchins per square kilometer that an otter population would be expected to eat each year.

Sea otters can eat 20%-23% of their body weight in food each day. An average sea otter weighs 23 kg (roughly 50 pounds), and there are 20-30 otters per square kilometer where they are present. An average sea urchin weighs 0.55 kg. Assuming that the otters eat only sea urchins, use these data to calculate a conservative estimate of the number of sea urchins per square kilometer that an otter population would be expected to eat each year.

Biology Today and Tomorrow without Physiology (MindTap Course List)

5th Edition

ISBN:9781305117396

Author:Cecie Starr, Christine Evers, Lisa Starr

Publisher:Cecie Starr, Christine Evers, Lisa Starr

Chapter16: Population Ecology

Section: Chapter Questions

Problem 1DID

See similar textbooks

Similar questions

Two populations of deer live in similar protected tracts of land. In tract A, the deer are left to forage on their own. In tract B, the villagers start providing supplemental food in the winter. What would you predict about the two populations after a few years and why? Draw a graph to show your predictions
You are part of a group of researchers examining the survivorship and fecundity of Bengal Tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) in the Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Parts of the reserve are well-protected from poaching, and other parts are largely unprotected. Over a period of several years, you’ve gathered demographic data (summarized below) on tigers in both poached and unpoached locations; assume that mx numbers represent female offspring born per female. Note that your demographic data begins at age 1, and does not include survivorship of cubs from birth to age 1. Also, note that Sx is listed here -- this is related to, but is NOT the same as lx… To calculate r, use the formula r = ln(Ro)/T. Including unpoached poaching Tiger age (x) Sx Sx Mx 0 1 1 0 1 0 2 0.83 0.69 0.04 3 0.91 0.65 0.64 4 0.9 0.62 0.78 5 0.85 0.6 0.71 6…
A region of North America has a population of 65,000 deer in 2016. The deer are kept in check by a wolf population. The carrying capacity of this region allows for 82,000 deer. For this example, assume the rmax is 1.0. With this information, answer/calculate the following:
According to Worldometers, in late November, 2018, the U.S. population was 327,726,061 and the world population was estimated at 7,666,602,725. Considering those numbers, do you think the United States is in a population crisis? Do we have enough land and resources to support a continuous increase in population? Should we, as a nation, concentrate on controlling our population or controlling resource use? Why, or why not?
The global human population has surpassed 7 billion, far exceeding our population’s size throughout our history on Earth. Name some specific means by which we have apparently raised Earth’s carrying capacity for our species. Do you think we can continue to raise our carrying capacity? How might we do so? What limiting factors exist for the human population today? Might Earth’s future carrying capacity for us decrease? Why or why not?
Assume that for a given population of moose, the per-capita birth rate remains constant with population size. However, as the moose population size increases there is a linear increase in the probability of starvation and subsequent mortality due to intraspecific competition. a) On a single graph, draw the relationship between moose density and the per capita birth and death rates for this population. b) Assume that the population does not experience competition from other species, nor predation. Write out the equation that would best be used to describe the change in population growth from one time interval to another.
Great white sharks prefer marine mammals like seals but can eat a number of other prey items, including birds and fish. According to the table below, what is the critical search time for seals, above which great white sharks should choose to eat an albatross if they encounter one? Prey item: seal (energy = 60 Mcals, handling time = 5 minutes) Prey item: albatross (energy = 10 Mcals, handling time = 2 minutes)
Based on the data, what is the estimated carrying capacity for the population and what factor may have led to a change in data at day three? A. The estimated carrying capacity is approximately 188 thousand. The population may have decreased during day three because of increased pressure from a limiting factor, such as unfavorable temperature. B. The estimated carrying capacity is approximately 188 thousand. The population may have decreased during day three because of decreased pressure from limiting factors, such as more food being available. C. The estimated carrying capacity is approximately 167 thousand. The population may have decreased during day three because of increased pressure from a limiting factor such as reduction of food available. D. The estimated carrying capacity is approximately 167 thousand. The population may have decreased during day three because of decreased pressure from a limiting factor such as reduction of predators eating the…
Once an abundant species in Alberta, the caribou population is currently staggering at approximately 6,700 individuals. Little Smoky caribou herd is located in Northern Alberta, and its population is a risk of extirpation. In 1970, there were only 123 caribous in the Little Smoky area with a per capita growth rate of –0.258 between 1970 and 2012. What was the population of Little Smoky caribou herd in 2012? Express your answer rounded to the nearest whole number.
It is estimated that approximately 20,000 grizzly bears live in Western Canada, Yukon, and Northwest Territories. Currently, there are 146 grizzly bears remaining in Jasper National Park in an area of 7500 km2. Calculate the density of the grizzly bear population in Jasper Park. Express your answer as a value rounded to two decimal places. Units = grizzly bears/km2
For the cricket, the intrinsic growth rate is 100 and the carrying capacity of the environment is 200,000 individuals. For the frog, the capture efficiency is 0.0002, the conversion efficiency is 0.1, the handling time per cricket is 0.2 hours, and the density-independent per capita death rate of the predator is 0.4. 18. At what value of the number of crickets is the predator population of frogs at equilibrium? 19. What is the dN/dt of the prey population when the number of frogs is 60 and the number of crickets is 11,000? Round to the nearest hundredth. 20. What is the dP/dt of the predator population when the number of frogs is 60 and the number of crickets is 11,000? Round to the nearest hundredth.
If the food source is affecting the buffalo population, what do you predict the graph of the food source would look like? Either draw a graph or write a prediction.