Plants, bison, elk, and wolves are all members of an ecosystem. The bison and elk are both primary consumers in this ecosystem, while the wolves are a predator. Over time, the bison completely disappear. Give an example of how the ecosystem may respond to this change, and explain how this relates to both resiliency and biodiversity.
Without the presence of bison in the ecosystem, the primary consumer population will decrease, leading to an increase in the plant population as there are fewer herbivores to consume them. This may result in overgrazing of certain plant species, leading to a decline in biodiversity. In response to this change, the elk population may decrease due to competition for limited food resources, affecting the overall balance of the ecosystem. This demonstrates how the loss of one species, the bison, can have cascading effects on the resiliency and biodiversity of the ecosystem.
