Plants, bison, elk, and wolves are all members of an ecosystem. The bison and elk are both primary consumers in this ecosystem, while the wolves are a predator. Over time, the bison completely disappear. In 2-3 sentences give an example of how the ecosystem may respond to this change, and explain how this relates to both resiliency and biodiversity.

Question

Write like a 7th grader.

Answer 1

After the bison disappear, there will be more food for the elk because they won't have to compete for it. But then the elk might eat too much of the plants in the ecosystem and there won't be enough left for other animals. This shows how the ecosystem can change and adapt when one species disappears. Resiliency is when an ecosystem can bounce back from changes like this, and biodiversity is how many different types of plants and animals can live in an ecosystem.