In ecology, an invasive species is a plant or animal species newly introduced to an ecosystem, often by human activity. Because invasive species often lack predators in their new habitat, their populations typically experience exponential growth. A small initial population grows to a large population that drastically alters an ecosystem. Feral rabbits that populate Australia and zebra mussels in the Great Lakes are two examples of problematic invasive species that grew exponentially from a small initial population. An ecologist monitoring a local stream has been collecting samples of an unfamiliar fish species over the past four years and has summarized the data in the table. Here are the results so far: Year Average Population Per Mile 2009 32 201048 2011 72 2012 108 2013 2014. Look at the data in the table and confirm that the growth pattern is exponential. If it is exponential, find the factor (r) . Write the equation that represents the average population per square meter as a function of years Predict the average populations expected for 2013 and 2014.