Anngilee Rollins

Biology 1120-401
Jessica Berryman
March 5, 2016

Exponential Population Growth of an Apple

This graph represents the exponential population growth of an apple if it produced six seeds, and
if each seed developed into a full apple with the same amount of seeds as the first (and also
ignoring the fact that apple seeds grow into trees and not other apples).

Apple Seed Exponential Population Growth Chart

10000
8000
6000
Plant Populations

4000
2000
0
0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5
Years of Plant Reproduction

1. In my original apple, the first generation, I found six seeds. Choosing an apple over a
pepper was solely due to already having an apple in my possession, I hope this is alright.
The exponential growth is not seemingly as impressive, but the lesson and learning
outcome is the same.
2. After five generations there were 7,776 apples total.
3. My graph started with six seeds the first year and jumped to 36 seeds the following year.
The third year the population growth was to 216 apples and by the fourth year you start to
see the beginning of drastic increase of apples with a total of 1,296 apples. The fifth year
the graph shows how the number of apples shot up to 7,776 apples; creating the J
shaped growth curve congruent with exponential growth graphs.

4. Five environmental factors that might limit natural or wild populations would include
things such as limited resources; including food and water (or soil nutrients and moisture
for plants), space limitation due to habitat destruction or over population (species
reaching carrying capacity in a given area), disease/parasites within a population or the
various effects that invasive species could have on the population (either due to
predication or the exponential growth of the invasive species.) These among other factors
limit natural or wild populations; helping to bring homeostasis to the biotic community
over time.
5. Over a substantial length of time, these environmental factors would have varied effects
on the different biotic populations. You could expect to see population numbers
increasing and decreasing based on the environmental factors that a population is
subjected to. For example, tamarisk is an invasive plant that consumes large amounts of
water and quickly overpopulates native plant species in the southwestern United States
(they grow like weeds). Invasive species such as the tamarisk outcompetes native
populations by consuming much of the surrounding water and competes for ground
cover. Tamarisk disrupts the stability and structure of the biotic community. Over
substantial lengths of time, if left unchecked, tamarisk deplete the native populations of
resources; both plant and animals native food and water supplies would be decreased,
and room for native plant growth would become blocked/choked out by the tamarisk.
This would cause plants and animals to decrease in areas with dense tamarisk
populations.
On the flip side, even the tamarisk could experience reaching the carrying
capacity of an area, and the tamarisk plant would start to feel the negative impact of such
densely populated areas. Soil erosion and diminished water sources would lead to the
death of weaker and smaller tamarisks plants.