Name: Date:

Student Exploration: Rabbit Population by Season

Directions: Follow the instructions to go through the simulation. Respond to the questions and
prompts in the orange boxes.

Vocabulary: carrying capacity, density-dependent limiting factor, density-independent limiting factor, limiting
factor, population, population density

Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)

1. Suppose you had a pet rabbit. What would the rabbit need to stay alive and healthy?

In order for it to stay alive and healthy, the rabbit would need food, water, proper shelter,
sunlight, exercise, etc.

2. A female rabbit can give birth to over 40 baby rabbits a year. Suppose all of her offspring survived and
reproduced, all of their offspring survived and reproduced, and so on. If that happened, in only eight years
the mass of rabbits would exceed the mass of Earth!

So, why aren’t we overrun with rabbits? What keeps the rabbit population in check?

Rabbit’s prey such as wolves, cats, dogs, falcons, etc. are what keeps the rabbit population in
check.

Gizmo Warm-up
A population is a group of individuals of the same species that live in
the same area. The size of a population is determined by many factors.
In the Rabbit Population by Season Gizmo, you will see how different
factors influence how a rabbit population grows and changes.

1. Select the BAR CHART tab. What is the size of the initial rabbit
population?

The initial rabbit population is 40.

2. Select the TABLE tab. Click Play ( ), and allow the simulation to run for
one year.

A. In which season did the rabbit population increase the most?

The rabbit population increased the most in spring.

B. In which season did the rabbit population increase the least?

The rabbit population increased the least in winter.

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 Activity A: Get the Gizmo ready:

Carrying capacity ● Click Reset ( ).

Question: What determines how large a population can grow?

1. Think about it: A limiting factor is any factor that controls the growth of a population. What do you think
are some of the limiting factors for the rabbit population?

Some limiting factors for the rabbit population are predation, food availability, resources,
diseases, temperature, etc.

2. Run Gizmo: Select the DESCRIPTION tab. Set the Simulation speed to Fast. Select the GRAPH tab.
Click Play, and allow the simulation to run for at least 10 years. (Note: You can use the zoom controls on
the right to see the whole graph.)

A. Describe how the rabbit population changed over the course of 10 years.

Over the course of 10 years, the rabbit population changed by rapidly increasing for
the first 3 years and then stabilizing in similar patterns (up and down) for the rest of the
years (7).

B. What pattern did you see repeated every year?

Every year, the rabbit population increased at the beginning (spring), slowly stabilized,
and then decreased by the end of the year (winter).

C. How could you explain this pattern?

During spring, the rabbit population would be at its peak, decrease slightly during the
summer, and the population would drop in fall and winter.

3. Analyze: The carrying capacity is the maximum number of individuals of a particular species that an
environment can support. All environments have carrying capacities.

A. What is this environment’s approximate carrying capacity for rabbits? (Note: Average the summer
and winter carrying capacities.)

The environment’s approximate carrying capacity for the rabbits is 390.

B. When did the rabbit population reach carrying capacity? Explain how you know.

The rabbit population reached carrying capacity during the end of spring because after
the end of spring and the beginning of summer the rabbit population would start to
decline.

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 Activity B: Get the Gizmo ready:
● Click Reset.
Density-dependent ● On the SIMULATION pane, make sure Ample is
limiting factors selected for the amount of LAND available.

Introduction: Population density is the number of individuals in a population per unit of area. Some limiting
factors only affect a population when its density reaches a certain level. These limiting factors are known as
density-dependent limiting factors.

Question: How does a density-dependent limiting factor affect carrying capacity?

1. Think about it: What do you think some density-dependent limiting factors might be?

Some density-dependent limiting factors might be competition for resources, overcrowding,

diseases, etc.

2. Predict: Suppose a shopping mall is built near a rabbit warren, leaving less land available for rabbits. How
will this affect the environment’s carrying capacity?

This will affect the environment’s carrying capacity by limiting the rabbit population in that area
because the rabbit population wouldn’t have enough space for them to grow and not have lots
of access to resources.

3. Experiment: Use the Gizmo to find the carrying capacity with Ample, Moderate, and Little land. List the
carrying capacities below.

Ample: 417 296 105

Moderate: Little:

4. Analyze: How did the amount of space available to the rabbits affect how many individuals the environment
could support?

The amount of space available to the rabbits affected how many individuals the environment
could support by not having enough shelter, enough resources, proper space to grow, etc.

5. Infer: Why do you think limiting a population’s space decreases the carrying capacity?

Limiting a population’s space decreases the carrying capacity because animals have basic
needs in order to survive such as space to grow, proper shelter, access to resources, etc.

6. Challenge yourself: Other than space, what might be another density-dependent limiting factor? Explain.

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 Another density-dependent limiting factor might be increased competition. As the rabbit
population becomes more dense, there will be competition for resources like food and water
amongst the rabbits.

Activity C: Get the Gizmo ready:

● Click Reset.
Density-independent ● On the SIMULATION pane, select Ample for the
limiting factors amount of LAND available.

Introduction: Not all limiting factors are related to a population’s density. Density-independent limiting
factors affect a population regardless of its size and density.

Question: How do density-independent limiting factors affect how a population grows?

1. Think about it: What do you think some density-independent limiting factors might be?

Some density-independent limiting factors might be natural disasters, pollution effects,

resource shortage, etc.

📷
2. Gather data: Click Play. Allow the population to reach carrying capacity. Click Pause ( ). Select the
GRAPH tab and click the camera ( ) to take a snapshot of the graph. Right click the image and paste the
snapshot into the box below. Label the graph “Normal Weather.”

📷
Normal Weather

3. Predict: How do you think a period of harsh winters will affect the rabbit population?

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 A period of harsh winters will affect the rabbit population by decreasing more than usual
(more rabbit deaths) due to improper shelter, limited access to resources, etc.

Click Play, and observe how the population changes over five years.
the box below. Label the graph “Harsh Winter.”
📷
4. Investigate: Click Reset. Select Harsh winter from the CONDITIONS listed on the SIMULATION pane.
Paste a snapshot of the graph in

📷
Harsh Winter

A. How does the Harsh Winter graph differ from the Normal Weather graph?

The Harsh Winter graph differs from the Normal Weather graph because the
environment’s rabbit carrying capacity is approximately at 435 in the Normal Weather
graph and decreases to approximately 308 in the Harsh Winter graph.

B. What do you think most likely caused the differences seen in the two graphs?

The differences seen in the two graphs are most likely due to lack of resources,
improper shelter, hypothermia, etc.

5. Predict: Rabbits reproduce in the spring. How do you think a period of cold springs will affect the rabbit
population?

Since the end of spring is the peak of the rabbit population, a period of cold springs will affect
the rabbit population by generally decreasing the population from the beginning (spring).

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 changes over a period of five years.
“Cold Spring.”
📷
6. Investigate: Deselect Harsh winter. Select Cold spring. Click Play, and observe how the population
Paste a snapshot of the graph in the box below and label the graph

📷
Cold Spring

A. How does the Cold Spring graph differ from the Normal Weather graph?

The Cold Spring graph differs from the Normal Weather graph because the
environment’s rabbit carrying capacity peaks during spring at approximately 435 in the
Normal Weather graph and approximately 335 in the Cold Spring graph.

B. What do you think most likely caused the differences seen in the two graphs?

The differences seen in the two graphs are most likely due to having less resources
and not coming out of hibernation as quickly and therefore not having enough time to
reproduce as much.

7. Predict: How do you think a period of hot summers will affect the rabbit population?

A period of hot summers will affect the rabbit population by slightly increasing throughout the
seasons.

changes over a period of five years.

“Hot Summer.”
📷
8. Investigate: Deselect Cold spring. Select Hot summer. Click Play, and observe the how the population
Paste a snapshot of the graph in the box below. Label the graph

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 📷
Hot Summer

A. How does the Hot Summer graph differ from the Normal Weather graph?

The Hot Summer graph differs from the Normal Weather graph because the
environment’s rabbit carrying capacity peaks during spring at approximately 435 in the
Normal Weather graph, peaks at approximately 350 and immediately decreases in the
summer and stabilizes in the fall in the Hot Summer graph.

B. What do you think most likely caused the differences seen in the two graphs?

The differences seen in the two graphs are most likely due to a lack of water and dying
of extreme heat.

9. Think and discuss: Other than unusual weather, what might be another density-independent limiting factor
that could affect the rabbit population? If possible, discuss your answer with your classmates and teacher.

Another density-independent limiting factor that could affect the rabbit population might be
resource shortages.

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