Our Scientific Question
Do reintroduction efforts done by the W.K. Kellogg
Bird Sanctuary increase the population in areas
where the swans no longer occur?
Hypothesis
If Trumpeter Swans are re-introduced to areas
where there are none, then the population will
increase naturally as time goes on.
Scientific Claim
Reintroducing Trumpeter Swans where they no
longer occur helps the population recover in
those areas
Independent and Dependent
Variables
The independent variable is the year researchers measure of
the Trumpeter Swan‘s population. The dependent variable is
how many Trumpeter Swans there are.
How does the independent variable cause a change in the
dependent variable?
The years given by the researchers between surveying the
population gave the Trumpeter Swans time to populate
between each survey.
The graph above shows the increase in population of the Trumpeter Swans in the
High Plains area, Mississippi/Atlantic area, and total population of the swans in both
areas. The graph indicates a stronger increase in population in the
Mississippi/Atlantic area. Compared to the High Plains area, which had a 500+
increase, showed a much smaller increase when compared to the
Mississippi/Atlantic area.
Source: https://datanuggets.org/2018/05/bringing-back-the-trumpeter-swan/
Trumpeter Swans
By Imani Barnes, Hope Faulkner, Madison Purcell, and Vanessa
Darby
Evidence that Supports the Claim
As the swans were reintroduced to an area, the population
increased in each are. The table below shows that from the
year 1968 to the year 2010, the population grew from 0 to
9,236 in the Mississippi/Atlantic area. In the High Plains
area, the population grew from 64 in 1968 to 573 in 2010.
Explanation of Reasoning and Why
the Evidence Supports the Claim
In the Mississippi/Atlantic area, the population grew from 0
to 9,236, in the High Plains, the population grew from 64 to
573. This supports the claim because in both cases the
Trumpeter Swans were reintroduced to both areas, allowing
the population to recover
Future Directions
Future directions of this research would be to see how the
growing population of Trumpeter Swans affects other
animals in their community.
1. What species have been affected by the growth of the
Trumpeter Swans population?
2. What are the resources looking like in the area now that
the Trumpeter Swans population has increased?
3. Have resources depleted? Can the current environment
sustain the Trumpeter Swans growth?
This picture shows
scientist Wilber C. "Joe"
Johnson of the W.K.
Kellogg Bird Sanctuary
with a Trumpeter Swan