Population Ecology evo-edu.org

Stage- and age-structured population modeling resources for growth, decline, survivorship, and fecundity.

Population trajectories

Model how survival and reproduction shape population growth, decline, and stability.

Life Cycle Modeler gives learners a direct way to explore matrix-based population dynamics and connect demographic assumptions to long-term outcomes.

Open application Study guide Curriculum alignment About API
Core question How do differences in survival and reproduction across life stages change the future of a population?
What you can explore Use the application page to run matrix-based scenarios and compare different life-history structures, then connect those observations to the guide and curriculum notes.
What to watch for Notice which life stages matter most, and compare cases where a small change in survival or fecundity produces a large long-term effect.
Ways to use it Use the matrix model to compare life-history strategies, then connect those differences to teaching, conservation, and demographic reasoning.

Use This Tool

Life Cycle Modeler in the learning pathway

Interactive investigation

Use the application page to run matrix-based scenarios and compare different life-history structures, then connect those observations to the guide and curriculum notes.

Concepts to keep in view

  • life history
  • matrix population models
  • survivorship
  • fecundity
  • population growth and decline

Teaching and Inquiry

Good first moves

  • Run a baseline case and determine whether the population grows, stabilizes, or declines.
  • Change survival in one stage and explain how the projection changes.

Discussion moves

  • Use species with familiar life histories so students can connect the matrix terms to real organisms.
  • Have learners compare which stage changes matter most to growth rate and persistence.

Context and Related Resources

Public evo-edu framing over the legacy popdyn implementation. Read the fuller about and provenance notes.