The carrying capacity (K) of the Kaibab Plateau for the dear at the beginning was about 45,000. ‘
Once the population passed K it would not be able to sustain itself. This is due to an imbalance in the ecosystem. An increase in deer population would cause a decrease in the grasses, shrubs, and trees. This would cause the deer to eventually die out because there will not be enough food to sustain the high deer population.
The deer population had the highest reproductive growth rate between 1920 and 1923.
In 1905 the Kaibab plateau was not yet declared a National Game Reserve, so the deer were at their initial population. In 1906 it was declared and the removal of predators was encouraged. 1906 was also when the deer population began to see rapid growth. Due to this growth by 1915 a density dependent resistance factor- the race to find food- became more competitive as the growing population caused damage to the food sources causing food to be scarce. …show more content…
The deer are not seriously affected by sudden and unpredictable events and if the population is below or near the carrying capacity most of the deer will live to near the maximum life span. These are all traits of a K selected species
I believe that following the extermination of the predators that the Kaibab Plateau had lost much of its vegetation that was in the meadows and forests. The plateau also most likely had very little grass, shrubs, and trees. This is due to the fact that deer affect stem density, growth in height, foliage density and seedling diversity. Overall the appearance of the Kaibab Plateau would look scarce in terms of vegetation with the loss of predators because the many deers consumed much of the vegetation.
http://www.life.illinois.edu/bio100/lectures/s10lects/04s10-population.html
Once the population passed K it would not be able to sustain itself. This is due to an imbalance in the ecosystem. An increase in deer population would cause a decrease in the grasses, shrubs, and trees. This would cause the deer to eventually die out because there will not be enough food to sustain the high deer population.
The deer population had the highest reproductive growth rate between 1920 and 1923.
In 1905 the Kaibab plateau was not yet declared a National Game Reserve, so the deer were at their initial population. In 1906 it was declared and the removal of predators was encouraged. 1906 was also when the deer population began to see rapid growth. Due to this growth by 1915 a density dependent resistance factor- the race to find food- became more competitive as the growing population caused damage to the food sources causing food to be scarce. …show more content…
The deer are not seriously affected by sudden and unpredictable events and if the population is below or near the carrying capacity most of the deer will live to near the maximum life span. These are all traits of a K selected species
I believe that following the extermination of the predators that the Kaibab Plateau had lost much of its vegetation that was in the meadows and forests. The plateau also most likely had very little grass, shrubs, and trees. This is due to the fact that deer affect stem density, growth in height, foliage density and seedling diversity. Overall the appearance of the Kaibab Plateau would look scarce in terms of vegetation with the loss of predators because the many deers consumed much of the vegetation.
http://www.life.illinois.edu/bio100/lectures/s10lects/04s10-population.html