Brett McNeill

Professor Taylor
Biology 1120
Exponential Population Growth of Amrosia Apples
The population growth of amrosia apples starting with 11 see!s an! spanning " generations# assuming
no mortality an! 11 a!!itional see!s pro!uce! y each plant$
1$ There were 11 see!s in the initial amrosia apple# representing the first generation$
2$ After only fi%e generations an! starting with only 11 see!s# the total amount of amrosia apple
plants was a staggering 1&1#0"1$
'$ The logarithmic scale of the graph is !efinitely cleaner loo(ing ut it !oes ta(e away some of
the %isual representation of )ust how !ramatic exponential growth can e$ The population
explo!e! after the '
r!
generation# sen!ing the numer of apples from 1#''1 to 1*#&*1$ +a! the
apples een gi%en only " more generations# the population woul! ha%e een )ust shy of 2&
illion$
*$ ,i%e en%ironmental factors that might limit natural or wil! populations coul! inclu!e-
+aitat .estruction
,ragmentation
.egra!ation
Gloal /limate /hange
0%erexploitation
"$ 1f a population was su)ecte! to any of these en%ironmental factors for an exten!e! perio! of
time# there woul! no !out e changes within sai! population$ +aitat !estruction# for
example# lea%es less space an! fewer resources for a gi%en population to li%e in an! on$ A
thri%ing population !epen!s on space to grow an! foo! to sur%i%e an! ree!$ ,ragmentation
has some similar effects in the amount of space a population has to sur%i%e in ut it also
separates populations into smaller sections# which ma(es a!aptation to change less li(ely an!
extinction more li(ely$ .egra!ation affects populations in the way it lowers the 2uality of the
en%ironment an! in many cases# causes !eath$ Pollution is an easily i!entifiale means of
!egra!ation an! affects all haitats an! en%ironments with it contriution to the next factor-
gloal climate change$ Gloal climate change is all encompassing$ The earth# as one ig
system of ecosystems# a!apts an! changes to the impact of its inhaitants$ 3ecent a%erage
gloal temperature clims mean higher sea le%els an! changes in precipitation an! weather
patterns an! other factors that happen so 2uic(ly that life on earth has no time to a!apt$
0%erexploitation is simple$ This happens when a life form is farme! or fishe! or culti%ate! or
in any way use! y humans to such an extent as to threaten its existence$