Question

Given the relationships identified above, determine what would happen to the populations under the following circumstances.


If the Impala population decreases, what would happen to the oxpecker population?

If the triggerfish population increases, what would happen to the small-fish population?

Answer 1

- If the impala population decreases, the oxpecker population would decrease — fewer impalas means fewer hosts and less food (ticks/wounds), so oxpeckers lose resources and decline.
- If the triggerfish population increases, the small-fish population would decrease — more triggerfish means greater predation pressure on small fish, reducing their numbers.