Question

In wild populations of predators and prey, scientists often observe that their population growth patterns exhibit a cyclical pattern in which increasing population size is followed by decreasing population size. An example of this is shown in the graph below. Briefly explain why predator and prey populations exhibit this type of pattern.

Answer 1

Predator and prey populations exhibit a cyclical pattern in which increases in one population are followed by decreases in the other. As the prey population increases, there is more food available for the predator, causing the predator population to increase. However, when the predator population grows too large, they kill so many prey that prey numbers decline, leading to a decline in the predator population.

Step-by-step explanation:

In wild populations, predator and prey populations often exhibit a cyclical pattern, with the increase in one population followed by a decrease in the other. This can be seen in the example of lynx (predator) and snowshoe hare (prey). When the hare population increases, there is more food available for the lynx, causing the lynx population to increase as well.

However, when the lynx population grows too large, they start killing so many hares that hare numbers begin to decline, leading to a decline in the lynx population due to a scarcity of food. This cycle then repeats.

Learn more about Predator-prey relationship