{ "nid": "56", "details": "\x3cspan class=\"title\"\x3eEcoBeaker™: Isle Royale\x3c/span\x3e\x3cbr/\x3e\n  \x3cdiv class=\"demo\"\x3e\x3ca href=\"http://www.simbio.com/demos/IsleRoyaleDemo.mov\" target=\"_blank\"\x3e\x3cimg src=\"/files/demo_thumbnails/DemoThumb_IR.jpg\" border=0 /\x3e\x3c/a\x3e\x3c/div\x3e\n\x3cspan class=\"description\"\x3eThis popular laboratory explores basic population biology concepts including exponential and logistic growth and carrying capacity. It is based on the textbook example of a predator-prey system involving wolves and moose on an island in Lake Superior. Students start out by characterizing the growth of a colonizing population of moose in the absence of predators. Next they introduce wolves, and study the resulting predator-prey cycles. Do predators increase or decrease the health of their prey populations? Students investigate this question by sampling the energy stores of moose with and without wolves present. Finally, they try changing the plant growth rate to see how primary productivity influences population dynamics.\r\n\x3c/span\x3e\x3cbr/\x3e\n\x3cbr/\x3e\n\x3cstrong\x3eLevel\x3c/strong\x3e: Intro\x3cbr/\x3e\n\x3cstrong\x3eKey Concepts\x3c/strong\x3e: Carrying capacity; Population growth; Predator-prey dynamics\x3cbr/\x3e\n\x3cstrong\x3eCourses\x3c/strong\x3e: Ecology; Intro Bio: Eco/Evo/Genetics; Intro Bio: Non-majors; Population Biology\x3cbr/\x3e\n  \x3cstrong\x3eReviews:\x3c/strong\x3e\x3cbr /\x3e\n  \x3c/span\x3e \x3c!-- /description --\x3e\n\n        \n    \x3cblockquote\x3e\x3cem\x3e\x26quot;Our experience with [the Isle Royale and Darwinian Snails labs] last Spring in our majors introductory course was excellent.\r\n\x26quot;\x3c/em\x3e\x3cbr /\x3e\n              Dr. Lawrence Blumer, Morehouse College\x3c/blockquote\x3e\x3cbr/\x3e\n      \n    \x3cblockquote\x3e\x3cem\x3e\x26quot;We plan to continue to use EcoBeaker\x26trade; software in our Biology 101 labs next year. Student and TA feedback was very positive on both these labs [Isle Royale and Sewage].\x26quot;\x3c/em\x3e\x3cbr /\x3e\n              Dr. Bruce Fall, University of Minnesota, 1,000 Student Introductory Biology Course\x3c/blockquote\x3e\x3cbr/\x3e\n      \n    \x3cblockquote\x3e\x3cem\x3e\x26quot;They\'ve done the first half of Isle Royale, and are doing the  second half this week.  No one seems to be having any difficulty using the software, even though I gave them very little information other than what\'s in the packet.  (And they\'re working on it entirely outside of class time.)\x26quot;\x3c/em\x3e\x3cbr /\x3e\n              Dr. Tara Rajaniemi, University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, Non-Majors Ecology Course\x3c/blockquote\x3e\x3cbr/\x3e\n            \x3cbr/\x3e\x3ca href=\"/search_result_details/brief/56\" class=\"node_brief\"\x3eRead less\x3c/a\x3e    \x3cbr/\x3e\x3ca href=\"/cart/add/56\"\x3e + Add to course collection\x3c/a\x3e" }