To determine what's happening in this squirrel population, let's break down the changes affecting their numbers step by step.
1. Number of Squirrels Entering the Population:
- Born: 4 squirrels
- Immigration: 10 squirrels
Adding these together:
[tex]\[
\text{Total Entering} = 4 + 10 = 14 \text{ squirrels}
\][/tex]
2. Number of Squirrels Leaving the Population:
- Died from predation: 2 squirrels
- Left to find food: 3 squirrels
- Died from disease: 8 squirrels
- Left to find a mate: 3 squirrels
Adding these together:
[tex]\[
\text{Total Leaving} = 2 + 3 + 8 + 3 = 16 \text{ squirrels}
\][/tex]
3. Net Change in Population:
To find the net change in the population, we subtract the total number of squirrels leaving the population from the total number entering:
[tex]\[
\text{Net Change} = \text{Total Entering} - \text{Total Leaving} = 14 - 16 = -2 \text{ squirrels}
\][/tex]
A negative net change indicates that the population is decreasing.
4. Population Growth Trend:
- If the net change is positive, the population is increasing.
- If the net change is negative, the population is decreasing.
- If the net change is zero, the population stays the same.
In our scenario, the net change is \(-2\). Therefore, we can conclude that:
[tex]\[
\text{Population growth is decreasing.}
\][/tex]
