An ecologist is studying the painted turtle population in a small pond. At the beginning of the year, there are 100 individuals. Over the course of a year, 40 turtles are born and 60 die. There is no migration. What is the growth rate (r)of the painted turtle population?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The growth rate (r) can be calculated using the formula:
r = (births - deaths) / population size

Plugging in the given information, we get:
r = (40 - 60) / 100
r = -20 / 100
r = -0.2

Note that the growth rate is negative, which means that the population is decreasing. To get the actual growth rate (which is usually positive), we can take the absolute value:
r = | -0.2 | = 0.2

Therefore, the correct answer is B) 0.2.

An Ecologist Is Studying the Painted Turtle Population in a Small