In a certain forest ecosystem, there are lions who prey on deer. The deer eat grass. Which of the following would be the consequences of the deer population increasing? (1 point)

Question

Responses

The lion population would stay the same.
The lion population would stay the same.

The lion population would decrease.
The lion population would decrease.

The plant population would increase.
The plant population would increase.

The plant population would decrease.

Answer 1

If the deer population increases, the consequences in the ecosystem would likely include:

• The lion population would tend to increase due to an abundance of food (deer), assuming other factors also allow for lion population growth.
• The plant population (grass) could decrease as more deer would consume more grass.

Given these considerations, the best responses are:

• The lion population would stay the same. (Incorrect)
• The lion population would decrease. (Incorrect)
• The plant population would increase. (Incorrect)
• The plant population would decrease. (Correct)

So, the most accurate consequence of the deer population increasing is that the plant population would decrease.