A population of Drosophila melanogaster with 10,000 individuals and a carrying capacity of 20,000 follows the logistic growth equation. Suppose that 5,000 individuals of a competitor species, Drosophila simulans, are added to the population, and that this species has an α of 0.5. One would predict that this number of competitive individuals will decrease the D. melanogaster population growth rate by the same amount as the addition of _______ D. melanogaster individuals would.

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The competitive effect of D. simulans on D. melanogaster is equivalent to adding 0.5 D. melanogaster individuals for each D. simulans individual. Therefore, 5,000 D. simulans individuals are equivalent to 0.5 * 5,000 = 2,500 D. melanogaster individuals.

A Population of Drosophila Melanogaster with 10,000 Individuals and a Carrying