The milkweed plant serves an important role in the life cycle of the monarch butterfly. Adult monarchs lay their eggs on milkweed, and then caterpillars eat that same plant during their development. Based on the relationship between monarchs and milkweed, which of the following trends would be predicted when looking at data on the populations of these two organisms?
An increase in the population of monarch butterflies would likely coincide with an increase in the population of milkweed plants, as the availability of milkweed would directly impact the survival and reproduction of monarchs. Conversely, a decrease in the population of milkweed plants would likely lead to a decrease in the population of monarch butterflies, as there would be fewer resources available for them to lay eggs and feed on. Therefore, the populations of monarch butterflies and milkweed plants are expected to be closely linked and show similar trends over time.
