The animal whose absence would have the greatest negative effect on the ecosystem is the wolf.
Wolves are apex predators and regulate the populations of both deer and foxes, as well as indirectly influence rabbit populations through their predation on foxes (which also prey on rabbits). If wolves were removed from this ecosystem, the populations of deer and foxes could increase significantly, possibly leading to overgrazing of vegetation (due to increased deer populations) and a subsequent decline in rabbit populations (due to increased competition and predation pressure from the abundant fox population). This imbalance could disrupt the entire ecosystem.
Thus, the absence of the wolf would likely have the most profound and cascading effects on the ecosystem.
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