How has the estimated population of coyotes in Illinois (or your state) changed over time? How do wildlife biologists estimate wildlife populations? What factors influence the population numbers? Does regulated hunting or trapping affect the overall population of coyotes in Illinois? Why or why not?
HS-LS2-1 (High School)
Use mathematical and/or computational representations to support explanations of factors that affect carrying capacity of ecosystems at different scales.
HS-LS2-2 (High School)
Use mathematical representations to support and revise explanations based on evidence about factors affecting biodiversity and populations in ecosystems of different scales.
HS-LS2-6 (High School)
Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning that the complex interactions in ecosystems maintain relatively consistent numbers and types of organisms in stable conditions, but changing conditions may result in a new ecosystem.
MS-LS2-2 (Middle School)
Construct an explanation that predicts patterns of interactions among organisms across multiple ecosystems.
MS-LS2-4 (Middle School)
Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations.