Vampire Population Dynamics: Brian Thomas, a PhD candidate in ecology at Stanford University in California, considers Vampire Ecology, population dynamics and models of predator-prey relationships:

We are gathered here today to ponder the ways in which the humans and vampires of Sunnydale interact. Specifically, Betsy asked:

“Ooh, Brian, can you help us work out the vampire carrying capacity of a typical population? I’m assuming a typical vampire accounts for, say, 150-200 humans a year. So how big does a town have to be to support Sunnydale’s apparently limitless supply of vampires? Are there human warrens in the catacombs somewhere, used only for feeding purposes?”

The term “carrying capacity” isn’t often applied to predator population dynamics. Instead, ecologists generally estimate stable predator populations by first coming to grips with the prey’s population dynamics, including its carrying capacity. Actually, in a lot of different cases, the prey’s carrying capacity ultimately determines how well the predator does.