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CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING
Weather conditions and the
interdependence of animal
species sometimes produce
periodic fluctuations in animal
populations. Suppose the rabbit
population in the Sleeping Bear
Dunes National Forest is at a
minimum of approximately 4,000
rabbits in January. By July, the
population reaches a maximum
of about 12,500. It returns to a low
of around 4,000 in the following
January, completing the annual cycle.
a. Make a plot of the rabbit population for a two-year period, starting with
January
b. In making your plot, what assumption did you make about how the rabbit
population varies from minimum to maximum?
c. What are the amplitude and period of your graph?
d. How is your plot of the rabbit population as a function of time similar to, and
different from the graph of c(x) = cos x? Of s(x) = sin x?
= sin t?
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