The Net Reproductive Rate (R0) of a population of wild mustang horses is 1.1. This means that if you were observing / watching the population, you would think that it is _____ .

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To evaluate what R0 = 1.1 implies, consider what the net reproductive rate means: each generation, on average, replaces itself with more than one offspring, leading to population growth over time.

Option a: experiencing high infant mortality. This would tend to reduce population growth and could counteract a positive R0. If infant mortality were high enough, the net growth could be slowed or reversed, so this option conflicts with an R0 above 1. Treating high infant mortality as a primary driver would not align with a clear 1.1 net replacement rate.

Option b: low with respect to females. This is a vague statement about sex ratio or female numbers and does not directly describe how the population changes over time. A balanced or skewed sex ratio could still yield R0 > 1 if overall reproduction exceeds losses; this option does not logically follow from R0 = 1.1.

Option c: decreasing. A decreasing population would require an R0 less than 1, or substantial additional mortality or emigration beyond what R0 accounts for. Since R0 is greater than 1, this option is inconsistent with the given data.

Option d: subjected to high predation. While high predation could influence population size, R0 = 1.1 isolates the net reproductive outcome accounting for mortality and reproduction. If predation were overwhelming, the effective R0 could drop below 1; however, the statement does not specify such a condition. This option is not a direct consequence of R0 = 1.1 by itself.

Option e: increasing. With R0 = 1.1, each generation on average produces 1.1 times as many offspring as there are parents, yielding a net growth of about 10%. This directly corresponds to an increasing population over time.

Option f: competing for resource. Resource competition can influence growth rates, but R0 = 1.1 is a net measure of replacement that already incorporates births and deaths. Saying the population is increasing does not inherently imply competition is the driver, nor does it make R0 contradictory. This option describes a possible underlying process, not the direct interpretation of R0.

Option g: stable. A stable population corresponds to R0 equal to 1.0. Since 1.1 is above 1.0, stability is not the correct interpretation for this value.

Overall, while several options discuss factors that could influence growth, the direct takeaway from an R0 of 1.1 is that the population is increasing, because each generation replaces itself with more than one individual on average.

BIO 181 (001&002) FALL 2025 FA25: Exam 2: Ecology - You got this! : )

The Net Reproductive Rate (R0) of a population of wild mustang horses is 1.1. This means that if you were observing / watching the population, you would think that it is _____ .

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