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Which best describes what is occurring in this population of squirrels?

Number of Squirrels Entering and Leaving a Population after 1 Year

\begin{tabular}{|l|c|}
\hline Cause of change & Number of squirrels \\
\hline Died from predation & 2 \\
\hline Born & 4 \\
\hline Immigration & 10 \\
\hline Left to find food & 3 \\
\hline Died from disease & 8 \\
\hline Left to find a mate & 3 \\
\hline \end{tabular}

A. Population growth is decreasing.
B. Population growth is increasing.
C. Population growth stays the same.
D. Population reaches carrying capacity.



Answer :

GinnyAnswer
To determine what's happening in this squirrel population, let's break down the changes affecting their numbers step by step.

1. Number of Squirrels Entering the Population:
- Born: 4 squirrels
- Immigration: 10 squirrels
Adding these together:
[tex]\[ \text{Total Entering} = 4 + 10 = 14 \text{ squirrels} \][/tex]

2. Number of Squirrels Leaving the Population:
- Died from predation: 2 squirrels
- Left to find food: 3 squirrels
- Died from disease: 8 squirrels
- Left to find a mate: 3 squirrels
Adding these together:
[tex]\[ \text{Total Leaving} = 2 + 3 + 8 + 3 = 16 \text{ squirrels} \][/tex]

3. Net Change in Population:
To find the net change in the population, we subtract the total number of squirrels leaving the population from the total number entering:
[tex]\[ \text{Net Change} = \text{Total Entering} - \text{Total Leaving} = 14 - 16 = -2 \text{ squirrels} \][/tex]
A negative net change indicates that the population is decreasing.

4. Population Growth Trend:
- If the net change is positive, the population is increasing.
- If the net change is negative, the population is decreasing.
- If the net change is zero, the population stays the same.

In our scenario, the net change is \(-2\). Therefore, we can conclude that:
[tex]\[ \text{Population growth is decreasing.} \][/tex]

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