4.03 Ecosystems: Population Dynamics Lab Report
Purpose
The purpose of this lab is to investigate how predation, birth rates, and death rates influence the killer whale and seal populations within their marine ecosystems.

Research
Prey Initial Size: The beginning number of prey
Prey Growth Rate: The birth rate of the prey
Predator Initial Size: The beginning number of predators
Predator Death Rate: Death rate of predators; higher rate means the predators will die out quicker
Capture Efficiency: The ability of the predator to capture prey over a certain time period

Hypothesis
If the death rate of the whales increases, the carrying capacity of the seals will be lower than the carrying capacity of the whales. Materials
1. The Population Dynamics Virtual Lab Activity
2. Lab Report

Procedures
Procedures are listed in lab activity.

Data and Observations
Table One
Seal Population

Whale Population Seal Carrying
Capacity
Trial 1 25
25
49
Trial 2 100
25
170
Trial 3 25
100
160
When the population of seals increases, the population of whales increases faster.

Whale Carrying
Capacity
52
190
180

When the population of whales increases, the number of seals decrease.

Table Two
Seal Birth Rate

Whale Birth Rate

Seal Carrying
Capacity

Whale Carrying
Capacity

Trial 1 .05
Trial 2 .05

.005
.005

49
55

53
75

Whale Death
Rate
Trial 1 .05
Trial 2 .05

Whale Capture
Efficiency
.005
.005

Seal Carrying
Capacity
49
65

Whale Carrying
Capacity
51
55

Table Three

Analysis and Conclusion
Trial three produced the highest carrying capacity for both whales and seals because the whale population was