If the initial population size of a plant species is 100 and after one year, population size of same plant species becomes 300 , then what will be the average rate of change of population per year per individual?

Correct option is C

Introduction

The average rate of population change per individual measures how quickly a population grows relative to its starting size. It is a fundamental demographic parameter used to quantify population

Information Booster

The correct answer is 2. The average rate of change of population per year per individual is calculated by taking the total change in population size over the time period, then dividing by both the time interval and the initial population size (to express it on a per-individual basis):
Rate per individual = (N_final − N_initial) / (N_initial × time)
Substituting the given values:
· Initial population (N_initial) = 100
· Final population (N_final) = 300
· Time = 1 year
Rate = (300 − 100) / (100 × 1) = 200 / 100 = 2 per individual per year
This confirms option (c). The population increased by 200 individuals over one year, and dividing this change by the starting population of 100 gives a per-capita rate of change of 2.

In other words, on average each original individual accounted for an increase of two individuals over the year, reflecting a tripling of the population.

This per-capita rate is central to the exponential growth model, where dN/dt = rN, and here the average per-individual growth over the interval equals 2.

Additional knowledge
· 0.66 — Incorrect. This results from wrongly dividing the change by the final population (200/300 ≈ 0.66) instead of the initial population, mis-anchoring the per-capita calculation to the ending size.
· 1 — Incorrect. This would arise from dividing the change by an incorrect base or halving the result, perhaps by averaging initial and final populations (200/200 = 1) rather than using the initial value.
· 3 — Incorrect. This reports the ratio of final to initial population (300/100 = 3), i.e., the growth multiple or the final population as a multiple of the start, rather than the per-individual rate of change, which is based on the difference (200), not the final total.