Question

The graph shows how a white-tailed deer population recovered over a ten-year period after a population crash. Wolves in the same area feed primarily on deer. Which graph shows the most likely change in wolf population for the same ten-year period?

Answer 1

To deduce the likely change in the wolf population in relation to the white-tailed deer population recovery, we can consider the following relationship:

- Wolves are predators of deer, so their population is influenced by the availability of deer as a food source.
- When the deer population crashes (decreases significantly), the wolf population may also decline due to a lack of food.
- As the deer population recovers and increases over time, the wolves will also likely have more resources to sustain themselves, potentially leading to an increase in the wolf population.

Given these dynamics, the graph depicting the wolf population should reflect a decline during the initial population crash of the deer, followed by an increase as the deer population recovers over the subsequent years.

If we were to visualize this:
1. In the first few years (during the deer population crash), the wolf population would likely decrease.
2. Over the next few years, as the deer population begins to recover, the wolf population would gradually increase.

Therefore, the most likely graph would show a decline in the wolf population initially, followed by a gradual increase paralleling the recovery of the deer population over the ten-year period.