What most likely caused the rabbit population to decrease over the first time unit shown in the following graph?
The graph show time on the x-axis from 0 to 4 and percent of balance on the y-axis from 0 to 200. Grass starts at 100, increases and then decreases to end near 125. Rabbit starts at 100, decreases and then increases to end at 125. Snake starts at almost 200, decreases, and ends at 90. Hawk starts at 100, increases, then decreases to end at 90.
a.
A disease in the rabbit population
b.
A decrease in amount of healthy grass available
c.
An decreasing population of hawks
d.
A higher-than-ideal population of snakes
Please select the best answer from the choices provided
A
B
C
D
A disease in the rabbit population.
To determine what most likely caused the rabbit population to decrease over the first time unit shown in the graph, we need to analyze the information provided in the graph. The graph shows the population levels of grass, rabbit, snake, and hawk over time.
We can see that the grass population starts at 100, increases, and then decreases to end near 125. This indicates that there was initially enough grass available to support the rabbit population.
The rabbit population starts at 100, decreases, and then increases to end at 125. This means that the rabbit population initially decreased, but then recovered and increased over time.
The snake population starts at almost 200, decreases, and ends at 90. This indicates a decrease in the snake population over time.
The hawk population starts at 100, increases, then decreases to end at 90.
Based on the information provided, the most likely cause for the decrease in the rabbit population over the first time unit shown in the graph is a higher-than-ideal population of snakes. The decrease in the snake population over time suggests that they were preying on rabbits, leading to a decrease in the rabbit population. Therefore, the correct answer is option D: A higher-than-ideal population of snakes.