Population Regulation in the Serengeti
An Interrupted Case Study
Population Regulation in the Serengeti Slide 1 of 20
Populations in Serengeti National Park
Speaking: Tony Sinclair, University of British Columbia
Population Regulation in the Serengeti Slide 2 of 20
What Controls a Population’s Size?
Factor Bottom-up or top- Density-dependent
down? or independent?
Top-down
Bottom-up
Population Regulation in the Serengeti Slide 3 of 20
Bottoms-up! Wildebeest (nonmigratory)
Which of the following is a
bottom-up factor that
could impact the
population sizes of these
herbivores?
a. predators, like lions
b. parasites
Buffalo c. rainfall
d. earthquakes
Wildebeest (migratory)
Population Regulation in the Serengeti Slide 4 of 20
What Happened to Migratory Wildebeest? (1958–1978)
Speaking: Tony Sinclair, University of British Columbia
Population Regulation in the Serengeti Slide 5 of 20
Migratory Wildebeest from 1958–1978 (Part A)
● Which symbol represents the
number of wildebeest?
Which represents the
prevalence (%) of
wildebeest with rinderpest?
● How do you know?
Population Regulation in the Serengeti Slide 6 of 20
Migratory Wildebeest from 1958–1978 (Part B)
The elimination of rinderpest
impacted the wildebeest
population. What type of factor is
rinderpest?
a. density-independent, top-down
b. density-independent, bottom-
up
c. density-dependent, top-down
d. density-dependent, bottom-up
Population Regulation in the Serengeti Slide 7 of 20
Migratory Wildebeest from 1958–1978 (Part C)
Consider the population
growth curve shown. What
type of growth is this?
a. exponential
b. linear
c. logistic
d. geometric
● What would happen to the
population in the long term?
Population Regulation in the Serengeti Slide 8 of 20
What Happened to Migratory Wildebeest? (1978–2003)
Speaking: Tony Sinclair, University of British Columbia
Population Regulation in the Serengeti Slide 9 of 20
Migratory Wildebeest from 1978–2003 (Part A)
Consider the entire
population growth
curve shown. What
type of growth is this?
a. exponential
b. linear
c. logistic
d. geometric
Population Regulation in the Serengeti Slide 10 of 20
Migratory Wildebeest from 1978–2003 (Part B)
What is the approx.
carrying capacity of
the wildebeest
population?
a. 800,000
b. 900,000
c. 1,300,000
d. 1,500,000
Population Regulation in the Serengeti Slide 11 of 20
Migratory Wildebeest from 1978–2003 (Part C)
● In 1958, the wildebeest
population was small
due to rinderpest.
● What factors affected
the population from
1980–2000? Were they
density-dependent or
density-independent?
Population Regulation in the Serengeti Slide 12 of 20
What Happened to Nonmigratory Wildebeest? (Part A)
This figure explores how
predators impact
nonmigratory populations
of Serengeti herbivores.
● What might explain the
relationship between
predation and herbivore
weight?
Species shown are the oribi (O), impala (I), topi (T), zebra (Z), African
buffalo (B), giraffe (G), black rhino (R), hippo (H), and African elephant (E).
Population Regulation in the Serengeti Slide 13 of 20
What Happened to Nonmigratory Wildebeest? (Part B)
This figure explores how
predators impact
nonmigratory populations
of Serengeti herbivores.
● Some populations have
low rates of predation.
What factors are likely
to limit their size?
Species shown are the oribi (O), impala (I), topi (T), zebra (Z), African
buffalo (B), giraffe (G), black rhino (R), hippo (H), and African elephant (E).
Population Regulation in the Serengeti Slide 14 of 20
What Happened to Nonmigratory Wildebeest? (Part C)
What percentage of
nonmigratory wildebeest
deaths are caused by
predation?
a. 100%
b. 85%
c. 45%
d. 25%
Species shown are the oribi (O), impala (I), topi (T), wildebeest (W), zebra
(Z), African buffalo (B), giraffe (G), black rhino (R), hippo (H), and African
elephant (E).
Population Regulation in the Serengeti Slide 15 of 20
What Limits the Migratory Wildebeest Population?
Speaking: Simon Mduma, Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute
Population Regulation in the Serengeti Slide 16 of 20
How Does Migration Impact Population Regulation?
Speaking: Grant Hopcraft, University of Glasgow
Population Regulation in the Serengeti Slide 17 of 20
The Benefits of Migration (Part A)
Migratory wildebeest populations
are limited by factors that are:
a. density-independent, top-down
b. density-independent, bottom-up
c. density-dependent, top-down
d. density-dependent, bottom-up
Population Regulation in the Serengeti Slide 18 of 20
The Benefits of Migration (Part B)
Nonmigratory wildebeest
populations are limited by factors
that are:
a. density-independent, top-down
b. density-independent, bottom-up
c. density-dependent, top-down
d. density-dependent, bottom-up
● Why?
Population Regulation in the Serengeti Slide 19 of 20
Apply What You’ve Learned…
● What factors might limit migratory versus nonmigratory
populations of other animals in the Serengeti, such as
zebras?
● Think of a population outside the Serengeti that you are
familiar with, maybe one that lives near you. What factors
do you think limit the size and growth of the population you
chose? Why?
Population Regulation in the Serengeti Slide 20 of 20
