Population Ecology evo-edu.org

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

Standards

Life Cycle Modeler standards and alignment

This page maps the app to standards-facing classroom use while staying explicit about model limits and evidence expectations.

Teacher guide Learner guide

Alignment Notes

  • NGSS HS-LS2-1: Use mathematical or computational representations to support explanations of carrying capacity and ecosystem factors.
  • NGSS HS-LS2-6: Evaluate claims and reasoning about complex interactions in ecosystems.
  • Practices: using mathematics and computational thinking, analyzing and interpreting demographic projections, revising explanations from evidence.

What learners should produce

Minimum evidence

  • A prediction about which stage most affects growth or decline.
  • A comparison of at least two stage-specific parameter changes.
  • An explanation that links stage structure to persistence, vulnerability, or management.

Model limits to keep visible

  • This is a compact stage-structured model, not a complete species forecast.
  • The chosen stages and rates stand in for more complex life-history processes.
  • Observed model behavior supports demographic reasoning, not automatic real-world certainty.