Question

Ecology Chapter 14 Predation and Herbivory

Concept Checks

CONCEPT CHECK 1. What evidence is there that predators can control the abundance of prey? 2. How has the reduction of top predators had unintended consequences on the abundance of prey? 3. What evidence is there that herbivores can control the abundance of plants? CONCEPT CHECK 1. How does a prey population's ability to disperse allow the prey to persist in the presence of predators? 2. Based on the predator-prey population equations, why is the prey population stable when rN CNP? 3. What causes the difference between a predator exhibiting type ll versus type Ill functional responses? CONCEPT CHECK 1. What are four ways in which prey have evolved to reduce their risk of being killed by predators? 2. Why does natural selection favor counter-adaptations to prey defenses? 3. What are three ways in which plants have evolved to reduce their risk of being killed by herbivores?

Answer 1

1.Predators can control prey populations directly by reducing size of those populations by the number of prey individuals they consume for example in a forest there is a large population of of rabbits due to their abundance lions will find them easily and will consume them hence intern more predators produced now as lions population increases it stresses on Prey rabbits population eventually leading rabbit population decline

2. Top predators have a powerful impact on the ecosystem if they are taken away strange phenomenon can result basically when top predators are eliminated Meso predators full show their dominance this is called mesoPredator release hypothesis.

Now due to their abundance devil stress and decline their prey population in turn causing extension of the trophic level below them and eventually this with hamper the low consumers

3. Herbivore is a fundamental process and natural process to control plants abundance and regulate energy and nutrient flow to higher trophic level since plant abundance declines with increased herbivores density in an ecosystem.