Asked by daniel
A recent forest fire has swept through the forest, killing many of the smaller organisms such as the hare, deer, and rodent populations that are prey for the larger organisms such as bobcats, wolves, and mountain lions. How would this affect the populations in the forest ecosystem? Check all that apply.
The populations of all organisms in the forest will stay the same.
The populations of bobcats, wolves, and mountain lions will decrease due to lack of food.
The populations of deer, hare, and rodents will increase due to the number of predators.
The population of bobcats, wolves, and mountain lions will increase due to the availability of food.
All Answers 1
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Correct choice: The populations of bobcats, wolves, and mountain lions will decrease due to lack of food.
Explanation: The fire killed many prey (hares, deer, rodents), so predators face a food shortage and their populations will decline. The other statements are incorrect: populations won't stay the same, prey won't increase (they were killed), and predator numbers will not increase when their food supply has been reduced. (Over the longer term, prey and then predator populations might recover as the habitat regenerates, but the immediate effect is predator decline.)
Explanation: The fire killed many prey (hares, deer, rodents), so predators face a food shortage and their populations will decline. The other statements are incorrect: populations won't stay the same, prey won't increase (they were killed), and predator numbers will not increase when their food supply has been reduced. (Over the longer term, prey and then predator populations might recover as the habitat regenerates, but the immediate effect is predator decline.)
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