MathBench > Population Dynamics

Mystery of the Missing Housefly

Applet: Disturbance = Death

Assumptions are made to be violated, part 2:
Hurricanes, earthquakes, and other acts of God.

Your insurance company knows that acts of god can wreak havoc with the best-laid plans. Likewise, disasters (known demurely as "disturbances" in ecology-speak) will not be good for a population.

Let's say I use a can of raid on the pesky houseflies and kill 90% of them. I know from experience that their population will recover... In the applet below, you can decide when the disturbance should occur, and watch the dynamics unfold:

 

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