Hunting lions has been banned in some parts of Africa. If this law is enforced, what can we expect to happen to the populations of small mammals in the same locations?
A) The small mammal populations will decrease. **
B) The small mammals will become extinct on Earth.
C) The small mammal populations will increase also.
D) The small mammal populations will balance out and stay the same.
Please double-check. Thank you.
Nope.
Disagree with Anonymous.
To determine the potential impact of banning lion hunting on small mammal populations in Africa, we need to consider the ecological dynamics of these species. Lions are predators in the ecosystem, and their presence can affect the population sizes of small mammals through predation and competition.
If hunting lions is banned and enforced, it is likely that the lion populations will increase, as they will no longer face human-induced mortality. With an increase in lion populations, there could be an increase in predation pressure on small mammals. Lions often prey on herbivores, which indirectly benefits small mammals by reducing herbivore populations and competition for resources.
Therefore, in the absence of lion hunting, the predation pressure on small mammals might increase, leading to a decrease in their populations (option A) rather than an increase or extinction (options B and C). It is important to note that predicting changes in population dynamics is complex and can be influenced by various factors such as habitat availability, prey availability, and other top-down and bottom-up ecological interactions.
Thus, based on the ecological dynamics between lions and small mammals, the most likely outcome if the ban on lion hunting is enforced would be a decrease in small mammal populations (option A).