This program simulates the dynamics of population growth for two populations of sparrows, and a population of hawks as predators of sparrows. In this laboratory, you will perform simulations of experiments to investigate a variety of topics in population ecology including the relationships between competing species, exponential growth, resource-limited growth, population extinction, population cycles, competitive exclusion, resource partitioning and coexistence, predator-prey cycles, and predator-mediated coexistence.

The purpose of this laboratory is to:

• Demonstrate important relationships between the many factors that influence population growth of a species.
• Simulate changing conditions such as life span, clutch size, competition, food availability, and predator-prey relationships, and investigate the effects of these conditions on population size and growth.
• Investigate how populations can adapt to changing conditions that influence population growth.