An ecologist observes a population of herbivores on a remote island. The island has no natural predators to the herbivores and the herbivore population continues to grow.Predict what will happen to the herbivore population.Elimination ToolSelect one answerAThe herbivore population will reach carrying capacity and the number of births will decrease, causing the population to stabilize.BThe herbivore population numbers will rapidly increase and there will be a sudden decrease in the population size.CThe herbivore population will adapt to new food sources over time and the population will continue to increase.DThe herbivore population numbers will rapidly increase and there will be a gradual decrease in the population size.Skip F
Question
An ecologist observes a population of herbivores on a remote island. The island has no natural predators to the herbivores and the herbivore population continues to grow.Predict what will happen to the herbivore population.Elimination ToolSelect one answerAThe herbivore population will reach carrying capacity and the number of births will decrease, causing the population to stabilize.BThe herbivore population numbers will rapidly increase and there will be a sudden decrease in the population size.CThe herbivore population will adapt to new food sources over time and the population will continue to increase.DThe herbivore population numbers will rapidly increase and there will be a gradual decrease in the population size.Skip F
Solution
The most likely scenario is A: The herbivore population will reach carrying capacity and the number of births will decrease, causing the population to stabilize.
Here's why:
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In the absence of natural predators, the herbivore population will continue to grow as there are no threats to their survival.
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However, the island has a limited amount of resources (food, water, space, etc.). This limit is known as the carrying capacity.
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As the population grows, the demand for these resources will increase.
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Eventually, the population will reach a point where the resources can no longer support any additional growth. This is the carrying capacity.
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Once the carrying capacity is reached, the number of births will likely decrease because there will not be enough resources to support more individuals.
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This will cause the population to stabilize, as the number of births will roughly equal the number of deaths.
So, the herbivore population will not continue to increase indefinitely. Instead, it will stabilize once it reaches the carrying capacity of the island.
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