Population ecology is the study of populations (especially population abundance) and how they change over time. Studies based on models of predation and competition, as seen in interacting species, are the main focus of this simulation-oriented lab. Lab II focuses on the applied principles of population ecology specifically designed for Postgraduate (PG) students.
The objective of the Population Ecology Virtual Lab II is to focus on applied principles of population ecology for postgraduate (PG) students. The lab is a simulation-oriented environment where the primary focus is the study of populations and how they change over time through models of predation and competition, specifically observing the dynamics of interacting species. It explores concepts such as:
Predator-Prey Dynamics (e.g., Lotka-Volterra equations)
The effects of predator efficiency, social behavior, and satiation.
Harvesting of a prey population and the environment's carrying capacity.
Optimal foraging strategies (maximizing energy intake, sit-and-wait vs. searching predators).
Host-parasite interactions.