Directions: Use the information provided and your knowledge of Life Science to answer the following questions. Show all work where necessary.
Directions: Use the information provided and your knowledge of Life Science to answer the following questions. Show all work where necessary.
Populations of different species within an ecosystem are closely connected through their dependence on shared resources. The lynx–hare relationship is a famous example of this connection. Hares feed on vegetation like willow and birch twigs, while lynx prey primarily on hares.
When plant growth is strong, hares have plenty of food and their population grows. With more hares available, lynx populations also increase because they have more prey to eat. However, as the hare population grows too large, it consumes much of its food supply. As plants are overgrazed and fewer hares survive, the lynx begin to struggle as their main food source disappears. After the crash, it takes years for plants - and then hares - to recover, followed later by lynx.
These boom-and-bust population cycles demonstrate how resource availability limits populations and how changes in one species can ripple through an entire food web.
Graph of Information - Figure 1.
Figure 2.
Using Table 1, describe the pattern between hare population size and lynx population size across the years shown.
Which statement best describes why lynx populations tend to rise after hare populations increase?
Does the data support the idea that hare population size affects lynx population size?
Claim:
Evidence:
Reasoning:
Compare hare population numbers in 2013 and 2015. What does this difference show about how food availability affects hare populations?
Explain how changes in plant growth can indirectly affect the lynx population in this ecosystem.
What pattern in the data best demonstrates predator–prey population cycling?