10. In 1906, the Kaibab Plateau was established as a preserve to reestablish the deer population.
Unfortunately, the Kaibab forest area had already been overgrazed by livestock and predator
populations were firmly established. As a result, the deer population was well below its
carrying capacity of 30,000. To protect the deer, hunting was banned, predators were
exterminated and livestock grazing was limited. By 1923, the deer were on the verge of
starvation. Predators were then reintroduced and hunting was allowed.
DATA TABLE
a. Were the methods successful? Explain your answer.
Year Deer Population
1905
1910
1915
1920
1924
1925
1926
1928
1929
1931
1939
4,000
9,000
25,000
65,000
100,000
60,000
40,000
35,000
30,000
20,000
10,000
b. Why did the population decline after 1925?
c. What type of growth pattern did the deer population exhibit?
d. What factors influenced this growth pattern?