An ecologist tracked deer that were born in 1997. The
number of deer, , living each subsequent year is recorded in
the table below:
| Year | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 |
| Deer | 180 | 176 | 167 | 131 | 96 | 72 | 63 | 52 | 38 |
(a) Use a calculator or computer to find the least squares regression
line, , where the independent variable denotes the number
of years, , after 1997. Enter the equation for the
line below.
(b) What is the correlation coefficient of the regression line?
(Enter accurate to at least three decimal places.)
(c) Interpret the slope, the vertical intercept, and the horizontal
intercept of the line. Match one of the statements which best describes
in practical terms each of these features:
1. horizontal intercept
2. slope
3. vertical intercept
A. The total number of deer which have died between 1997 and 2005.
B. On average, the number of deer that die each year.
C. The number of deer in the initial population in 1997.
D. By what percent the initial deer population decreases each year.
E. How many years until all 180 deer have died.
F. 38 deer are still alive in 2005.
G. None of the above
You can earn partial credit on this problem.