(Solution) - Wolves used to range over much of Michigan Minnesota and -(2025 Original AI-Free Solution)

Paper Details

Wolves used to range over much of Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. They were reintroduced several years ago, but counts over the winter showed that the populations are expanding rapidly over the past few years.

(a) Plot the number of wolves versus the year the count was taken.
(b) Fit a least squares line to summarize the growth. To simplify the calculation, code 1998 as x = 1, 1999 as x = 2, and so on.
(c) Does your fitted straight line summarize the growth in the wolf population over this period of time? If so, what numerical value summarizes the change in population size from one winter to the next?