Imagine that an ecosystem contains rabbits, foxes, wolves, and deer. The following predator-prey relationships exist:

Question

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.



(1 point)
Responses

rabbit
rabbit

deer
deer

fox
fox

wolf
wolf
Skip to navigation

Answer 1

In the given ecosystem, the animal whose absence would have the greatest negative effect is the wolf.

Here's why:

1. Wolves are apex predators: They control the populations of both deer and foxes, helping to maintain a balance in the ecosystem.
2. Impact on other species: Without wolves, the populations of deer and foxes could increase significantly, leading to overgrazing and depletion of vegetation, which in turn affects other species in the ecosystem.
3. Predation on multiple species: Wolves directly influence the populations of both deer and foxes, and their absence would disrupt these relationships.

Thus, the removal of wolves would likely create a cascading effect that could destabilize the entire ecosystem.