Question

Imagine that an ecosystem contains rabbits, foxes, wolves, and deer. The following predator-prey relationships exist:

• Rabbits are eaten by foxes and wolves
• Deer are eaten by wolves
• Foxes are eaten by wolves
Select the animal whose absence would have the greatest negative effect on the ecosystem.
Item 1
Item 2
Item 3
Item
(1 point)

• deer

• fox

• rabbit

• wolf

Answer 1

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

The animal whose absence would have the greatest negative effect on the ecosystem is the wolf. Wolves play a crucial role in controlling the populations of rabbits, foxes, and deer. Without wolves, the populations of rabbits and foxes could explode, leading to overgrazing and a decrease in plant species. This could have a domino effect on the entire ecosystem.