Question

Habitat P has twice the density of resources as habitat Q. Assume that individuals are identical, can move freely, have perfect information about the environment, and compete for resources when they are in a habitat. At equilibrium, which one of the following represents the predicted outcome?

• A. The number of individuals present and the profitability per individual will be higher in P than in Q.
• B. The number of individuals present and the profitability per individual will be the same in P and in Q.
• C. The number of individuals present will be higher in P than in Q and the profitability per individual will be the same in P and in Q.
• D. The number of individuals present will be higher in Q than in P and the profitability per individual will be higher in P than in Q.

Hint:

In ecological models, when resources are abundant, populations increase, but the profitability per individual typically decreases as the population grows, leading to an equilibrium where profitability per individual is the same across habitats.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understand the dynamics of resource density.
Given that habitat P has twice the resource density as habitat Q, individuals in habitat P will experience more resources and thus can support a larger population. However, as the number of individuals increases in P, the profitability per individual will eventually stabilize, resulting in equal profitability between habitats at equilibrium. This is because, at equilibrium, the profitability per individual depends on the resource density relative to the number of individuals.

Step 2: Analyze the options.
Option (A): Incorrect, while the number of individuals will be higher in P, the profitability per individual will not be higher in P than in Q.
Option (B): Incorrect, the number of individuals will not be the same in both habitats. P will support more individuals due to higher resource density.
Option (C): Correct, habitat P will support more individuals, but the profitability per individual will be the same in both habitats at equilibrium.
Option (D): Incorrect, while the number of individuals will be higher in P, the profitability per individual in Q will not be higher.
Hence, the correct answer is (C).