How to Build a Population Simulation with Changing Traits
How can we create a population simulation with traits that change over time?
Calculating the Number of Circles for Each Trait
Medium-Tip Leaves:
- 50% of 2,500 plants have medium-tip leaves.
- 50% of 2,500 plants is equal to 1,250 plants.
- Since each circle represents 125 organisms, we divide 1,250 plants by 125 to find the number of circles needed.
- The calculation is: 1,250 plants / 125 organisms per circle = 10 circles needed for plants with medium-tip leaves.
You can follow a similar process to determine the number of circles required for plants with wide-tip leaves and drip-tip leaves.
Creating the Population Simulation
To build the population simulation, gather the data on the traits and their proportions, and calculate the number of circles needed for each trait as explained above. Each circle will represent 125 organisms in the simulation.Once you have determined the number of circles needed for each trait, create the simulation grid with circles representing the organisms. Assign a color key to indicate which trait each circle represents. For example, you can use different colors for medium-tip leaves, wide-tip leaves, and drip-tip leaves.