Question

name
read this! invasive species are species that are introduced into an environment but are not naturally found in that environment. one example of an invasive species is the american gray squirrel, introduced into britain at the end of the 18th century. until 1876 the only native squirrel in britain was the european red squirrel, which was found in deciduous and coniferous forests. by 1940 the gray squirrel had displaced the red squirrel across most of the british isles, and by 1984 the red squirrel was only found in isolated coniferous woodland areas. after its initial introduction, the gray squirrel population increased rapidly; however, in recent years population sizes within specific environments have become stable.

1. explain why the newly - introduced gray squirrel initially showed rapid population growth and why the native red squirrel showed a population decline. use ecological terms from the previous models in your answer.
2. why has the population size of the gray squirrel become stable in recent years?

Explanation:

1. The gray squirrel initially showed rapid population growth due to the absence of limiting factors (such as predators or diseases specific to it in the new environment) and access to abundant resources (like food and habitat). This is an example of exponential growth. The native red squirrel showed a population decline because the gray squirrel out - competed it (interspecific competition). The gray squirrel may have been more efficient at foraging, had a higher reproductive rate, or was better adapted to the changing environment (due to the introduction of the gray squirrel).
2. The population size of the gray squirrel has become stable in recent years likely because it has reached the carrying capacity of its environment. The carrying capacity is the maximum number of individuals of a species that an environment can support over a long period. As the population grew, resources (such as food, nesting sites) became limited, and intraspecific competition (competition among gray squirrels) increased. Also, density - dependent factors (like disease, which can spread more easily in a dense population) may have started to regulate the population.

Answer:

1. The gray squirrel had exponential growth (no limiting factors initially, abundant resources) and out - competed (interspecific competition) the red squirrel.
2. The gray squirrel population reached the carrying capacity of its environment (limiting resources, increased intraspecific competition, density - dependent factors).