The population of mice in a local forest ecosystem has recently died out due to disease. In the past, these mice were the main predators of the forest beetles.
What is the best prediction about what will happen to the beetles?
Responses
A The drop in the mouse population will lead to a drop in the beetle population.The drop in the mouse population will lead to a drop in the beetle population.
B The drop in the mouse population will lead to no change in the beetle population.The drop in the mouse population will lead to no change in the beetle population.
C The drop in the mouse population will lead to an increase in the beetle population.The drop in the mouse population will lead to an increase in the beetle population.
D The increase in the mouse population will lead to an increase in the beetle population.
C The drop in the mouse population will lead to an increase in the beetle population.
Without their main predator, the beetle population will likely increase significantly as they are no longer being controlled by the mice. This could potentially lead to negative impacts on the forest ecosystem as the beetle population may become too large and start causing damage to vegetation.