Plants, bison, elk, and wolves are all members of an ecosystem. The bison and elk are both primary consumers in this ecosystem, while the wolves are a predator. Over time, the bison completely disappear. Give an example of how the ecosystem may respond to this change, and explain how this relates to both resiliency and biodiversity.
Write it in kids’s words
One example of how the ecosystem may respond to the bison disappearing is that the elk population may increase because there is more food available for them. This could cause the plants that the elk eat to decrease because the elk are eating more of them. This change can impact the whole ecosystem because the plants are an important part of the food chain.
This relates to resiliency because a diverse ecosystem can handle changes better. If there are more kinds of plants and animals in an ecosystem, it is more likely that some will be able to adapt to changes, like the bison disappearing. Biodiversity is important because it helps keep the ecosystem healthy and balanced, so it is good to have lots of different plants and animals living together.