Copy of Strand 4 Exit Ticket - Ecosystem Stability (5/2/2026) - Samm Walker | Bibliotek

A trophic cascade is an interaction between predator and prey that influences the abundance, diversity, and sometimes behavior of other trophic levels within an ecosystem. In African grasslands, impalas are prey for large animals such as lions, cheetahs, and leopards. Hyenas will follow behind these larger predators and eat scraps of the impala carcass (dead body) left behind. Impalas are grazers and live in herds, moving to find available grass and water sources.

Nødvendig

1

Construct a food chain based on the description of the ecosystem.

Not all items will be used.

Andre svarmuligheder:

Lions

Sunlight

Grasslands

Impalas

Water

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1

Lion and Impala: Parasitism
Lion and Hyena: Commensalism

Lion and Impala: Parasitism
Lion and Hyena: Mutualism

Lion and Impala: Predation
Lion and Hyena: Mutualism

Lion and Impala: Predation
Lion and Hyena: Commensalism

Nødvendig

1

Trade-driven poaching decreases ecosystem stability by causing deforestation and pollution in the grassland habitat.

Trade-driven poaching does not impact ecosystem stability as removal of predators benefits all species.

When these large predators are removed, the impala population increases and risks overgrazing the grasslands.

With the apex predators removed, the grasslands will increase and impala population will decrease.

Nødvendig

1

The lion population will move off of the endangered species list, biodiversity will increase, and the ecosystem will become more stable.

The grassland ecosystem will become imbalanced to the point of collapse as the apex predators repopulate quickly.

The lion population will go extinct and the impala population will overpopulate the grassland environment.

The lion population will remain on the endangered species list as poachers stop hunting them for their bones and pelts.