Imagine that an ecosystem contains rabbits, foxes, wolves, and deer. The following predator-prey relationships exist:

Rabbits are eaten by foxes and wolves
Deer are eaten by wolves
Foxes are eaten by wolves
Select the animal whose absence would have the greatest negative effect on the ecosystem.



(1 point)
Responses

fox
fox

deer
deer

wolf
wolf

rabbit

1 answer

The absence of the wolf would have the greatest negative effect on the ecosystem.

Wolves are apex predators that help control the populations of both foxes and deer. Without wolves, the populations of these prey species could increase unchecked, leading to overgrazing and negative impacts on vegetation and other species within the ecosystem. Additionally, since foxes rely on rabbits for food, the absence of wolves could also indirectly affect rabbit populations. Therefore, the removal of wolves would have a cascading negative effect on the entire ecosystem.

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