Population Ecology

Uses 90 years of real hare–lynx population data from the Canadian boreal forest to help students understand why populations never grow indefinitely, identifying carrying capacity and limiting factors from evidence and distinguishing biotic from abiotic controls.

Data and Resources

Additional Info

Field Value
Subject Area Biology
Grade Band 9-10
Technology Tool CODAP
Class Time Estimate 3
Data Science Focus
  • 9-10.C.5.1a Recognize that bivariate relationships between numerical features can be examined using both linear and non-linear associations.
  • 9-10.C.5.1b Investigate real-world examples where correlation does not imply causation.
Standards Alignment
  • HS-LS2-1
  • HS-LS2-2
  • HS-LS4-5
Prerequisites Basic understanding of ecosystems and energy flow; predator/prey/producer/consumer terms; that populations change over time.
Version 1.0
Date Created July 7, 2026
Last Updated July 7, 2026