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.
wolf
• rabbit
• deer
• fox
1 answer
Wolf. The absence of wolves would lead to an overpopulation of both rabbits and deer, as there would be no predator to control their populations. This could lead to overgrazing of vegetation, which could impact other species dependent on the same ecosystem. Additionally, the absence of wolves would disrupt the predator-prey balance among the other animals in the ecosystem.