Natural Sciences >> Integrative Biology

Population of Squirrels at the University of South Florida Botanical Gardens

by Alexander Miller

 

Submitted : Spring 2012


In calculus, a series is a sum of the numbers in a sequence. Series and sequences have many uses in biology and engineering, such as estimating populations. In this project I will use a series to estimate the population of squirrels at the University of South Florida and compare that to their current sources of food. By doing this I hope to arrive at an exact point in the future where the population of squirrels run out of viable food sources, as this is when they could cause devastating effects to the gardens.

To solve this problem, two equations were formulated to represent different populations of squirrels. These equations were for the amount of reproducing females in a population and the overall amount of squirrels at the gardens. Then, this second equation was set equal to the amount of squirrels that can be fed by the oak trees there, and a time when the squirrels would run out of food was found.


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Advisors :
Arcadii Grinshpan, Mathematics and Statistics
Laurie Walker, Geography
Suggested By :
Laurie Walker
Population of Squirrels at the University of South Florida Botanical Gardens