参考学习资料 建模2024_MCM_Problem_A.pdfVIP

2024MCM

ProblemA:ResourceAvailabilityandSexRatios

Whilesomeanimalspeciesexistoutsideoftheusualmaleorfemalesexes,mostspeciesare

substantiallyeithermaleorfemale.Althoughmanyspeciesexhibita1:1sexratioatbirth,other

speciesdeviatefromanevensexratio.Thisiscalledadaptivesexratiovariation.Forexample,

thetemperatureofthenestincubatingeggsoftheAmericanalligatorinfluencesthesexratiosat

birth.

Theroleoflampreysiscomplex.Insomelakehabitats,theyareseenasparasiteswitha

significantimpactontheecosystem,whereaslampreysarealsoafoodsourceinsomeregionsof

theworld,suchasScandinavia,theBaltics,andforsomeIndigenouspeoplesofthePacific

NorthwestinNorthAmerica.

Thesexratioofsealampreyscanvarybasedonexternalcircumstances.Sealampreysbecome

maleorfemaledependingonhowquicklytheygrowduringthelarvalstage.Theselarvalgrowth

ratesareinfluencedbytheavailabilityoffood.Inenvironmentswherefoodavailabilityislow,

growthrateswillbelower,andthepercentageofmalescanreachapproximately78%ofthe

population.Inenvironmentswherefoodismorereadilyavailable,thepercentageofmaleshas

beenobservedtobeapproximately56%ofthepopulation.

Wefocusonthequestionofsexratiosandtheirdependenceonlocalconditions,specificallyfor

sealampreys.Sealampreysliveinlakeorseahabitatsandmigrateupriverstospawn.Thetask

istoexaminetheadvantagesanddisadvantagesoftheabilityforaspeciestoalteritssexratio

dependingonresourceavailability.Yourteamshoulddevelopandexamineamodeltoprovide

insightsintotheresultinginteractionsinanecosystem.

Questionstoexamineincludethefollowing:

•Whatistheimpactonthelargerecologicalsystemwhenthepopulationoflampreyscan

alteritssexratio?