For 5 years a biologist studied a population of mice living in a field. The mice have three age classes: 1 year old, 2 years old, and 3 years old. The number of individuals in each age class over the course of the study is shown in the table. Use these data to answer questions 51 and 52.

-The geometric mean growth rate (λ) from year 1 to year 2 is

Question

For 5 years a biologist studied a population of mice living in a field. The mice have three age classes: 1 year old, 2 years old, and 3 years old. The number of individuals in each age class over the course of the study is shown in the table. Use these data to answer questions 51 and 52.
 
-The geometric mean growth rate (λ) from year 1 to year 2 is

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The geometric mean growth rate (λ) can be calculated using the following formula:
λ = (Nt+1/Nt)^(1/t)
where Nt is the population size at time t and t is the number of years.
Using the data from the table:
λ = [(251/153) * (285/251) * (185/285) * (275/185)]^(1/4)
λ = 1.338
Therefore, the best choice is B, 3, as it is the closest to the calculated value.

For 5 Years a Biologist Studied a Population of Mice