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Serengeti Lesson 3 Wrap-up

Last updated over 1 year ago

8 questions

Note from the author:

Examine the wildebeest migration data. What do the data tell us?

Instructions

Examine the wildebeest migration data. What do the data tell us?

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Question 1

1.

Before we examined the data, we brainstormed several possible explanations for why the wildebeests migrated. We came up with several possible answers: excessive predation/poaching, chasing food, disease, weather, random movement. Which of these did our data most strongly support?

Food

Random

Weather

Excessive predation

Disease

Question 2

2.

Which data set provided evidence for your answer to #1?

The anthrax infection rate

The bone marrow fat %

Question 3

3.

What does bone marrow fat % indicate about an individual wildebeest?

Overall health - lower % indicates better health

Mental stress - higher % indicates greater stress

Overall health - higher % indicates better health

Mental stress - lower % indicates greater stress

Question 4

4.

Explain how you used this data set to support your claim.

Question 5

5.

A limiting factor is any factor that keeps a population size from growing. What seems to be the strongest limiting factor?

food

predation

disease

poaching

Question 6

6.

Is this limiting factor equally strong during all times of the year?

yes

no

Question 7

7.

During what time of year is this limiting factor the most impactful?

June - September

February - May

October - January

Question 8

8.

We think that wildebeest migrate to get more food and that the migration happens in the same pattern every year.
1. What could be causing the pattern? Why do they go to the same place at the same time of year?
2. Describe the data that you might be able to collect to test your hypothesis.