What This Document Is
This document, MSCI 111 Lab Ten, Exercise Three from Coastal Carolina University, is a student lab assignment centered around the SimBio Virtual Labs: Isle Royale ecosystem simulation. It requires students to analyze population dynamics of moose and wolves under varying environmental conditions.
Why This Document Matters
This lab is for students enrolled in Introduction to Marine Science (MSCI 111). It’s used to apply ecological principles learned in the course to a real-world (simulated) scenario, specifically predator-prey relationships and the impact of environmental changes. It’s completed as part of the course grade.
Common Limitations or Challenges
This assignment focuses on data analysis *within* the simulation. It does not provide background information on Isle Royale’s actual ecosystem history or detailed ecological theory – that is covered in other course materials. Students are expected to have a foundational understanding of population ecology before completing this lab.
What This Document Provides
The full document includes: specific prompts for predicting and recording moose and wolf population sizes under “Normal,” “Short,” and “Long” growing season scenarios within the SimBio simulation. It also asks students to interpret how changes in growing season length affect carrying capacity and to explain the “paradox of enrichment” observed in the long growing season simulation. The document contains data tables for recording simulation results and short-answer questions for analysis. This preview only describes the assignment’s structure and purpose; it does not include the simulation data or answers to the questions.