Question

In an equilibrium population (at its carrying capacity), thousands of eggs and hundreds of tadpoles are produced by a single pair of frogs. On average, about how many offspring per pair will live to reproduce

Answer 1

In an equilibrium frog population, only about two offspring will on average live to reproduce to maintain the population size, as frogs produce many eggs but most do not survive to adulthood due to environmental constraints.

Step-by-step explanation:

In a stable equilibrium population, where the number of individuals is at the carrying capacity, not all offspring that are born will survive to reproduce. This is because the environment can only support a certain number of individuals with the resources available such as food, space, and other necessities. Frogs, like many other animals, have evolved a reproductive strategy where they produce a large number of offspring with the expectation that most will not survive to adulthood due to factors like predation and competition. This strategy ensures that at least some will survive and maintain the population size. In the case of frogs producing thousands of eggs, on average only two need to reach adulthood and reproduce to keep the population stable.