Act III Mission Memo
Lab Instructions_
Scientific Reasoning -
Arizona State
University BIO 181
Scientific Reasoning Module - Act III Final Assignment Background A
population is a group of organisms of the same species that live in a
particular geographic location. For example, people living in the city of
Phoenix are considered a population of humans. Biologists estimate the
number of organisms in a population (population size) to know whether a
species has become too rare or too abundant. Knowing a population's
size also enables biologists to manage the resources needed to sustain
the population. For example, biologists have estimated how many people
will live in Phoenix during the next 40 years to know whether the current
water supply will support the future population. A population grows when
the number of organisms born exceeds the number that die. Conversely,
a population shrinks when the number of organisms that die exceeds the
number born. If the population of humans in Phoenix grows from one
year to the next, the number of people born must have exceeded the
number of people who died. Growth rate is a measure of how a
population’s size changes over time. A positive growth rate means that
the population size increases over time (i.e., the population grows). A
negative growth rate means that the population size decreases over time
(i.e., the population shrinks). A growth rate of zero means that the
population size does not change over time (i.e., the population neither
grows nor shrinks, but remains stable). Population size increases from
year to year if its growth rate is greater than 0. For example, if the growth
Lab Instructions_
Scientific Reasoning -
Arizona State
University BIO 181
Scientific Reasoning Module - Act III Final Assignment Background A
population is a group of organisms of the same species that live in a
particular geographic location. For example, people living in the city of
Phoenix are considered a population of humans. Biologists estimate the
number of organisms in a population (population size) to know whether a
species has become too rare or too abundant. Knowing a population's
size also enables biologists to manage the resources needed to sustain
the population. For example, biologists have estimated how many people
will live in Phoenix during the next 40 years to know whether the current
water supply will support the future population. A population grows when
the number of organisms born exceeds the number that die. Conversely,
a population shrinks when the number of organisms that die exceeds the
number born. If the population of humans in Phoenix grows from one
year to the next, the number of people born must have exceeded the
number of people who died. Growth rate is a measure of how a
population’s size changes over time. A positive growth rate means that
the population size increases over time (i.e., the population grows). A
negative growth rate means that the population size decreases over time
(i.e., the population shrinks). A growth rate of zero means that the
population size does not change over time (i.e., the population neither
grows nor shrinks, but remains stable). Population size increases from
year to year if its growth rate is greater than 0. For example, if the growth
