Labs / Biology
Population Growth
A handful of organisms lands in an empty habitat and starts multiplying. Reproduction adds individuals, but as the crowd nears the carrying capacity K the growth slows, tracing the famous S-shaped logistic curve. Drag on the graph to cull or boost the population, then watch how it recovers.
N 4gen 0K 200r 1.00
What to try
- With a low growth rate, how gently does the curve ease up to K — does it ever cross the dashed line?
- Push r past 2. Why does the population shoot above the carrying capacity before crashing back down?
- At the “Chaos” preset, can you predict what next generation's count will be, or has it become unpredictable?
- Drag the population far below K and release. Does a small colony bounce back faster or slower than one dragged just under capacity?
- Lower K while the habitat is full — what happens to the organisms that no longer have room to survive?