Question

Identify how removing the cats from Macquarie Island affected the island's ecosystem.

-The island community reverted back to its previous state before humans introduced any species.
-Predation on the islands' birds decreased, preventing further population drops and extinctions.
-The lethal rabbit virus increased in prevalence, leading to harmful effects on the health of humans.
-The rabbit population increased tenfold, leading to the consumption of most of the island's plants.
-The populations of mice and rats died off without a natural predator to stimulate their growth rate.

Answer 1

The removal of cats from Macquarie Island led to a decrease in predation on native birds but resulted in an explosive increase in the rabbit population, causing extensive ecological damage to the island's vegetation and affecting other species.

Step-by-step explanation:

Removing cats from Macquarie Island had significant impacts on the island's ecosystem. Initially, cats were introduced to manage the mice and rat populations but later became a threat to native bird species due to predation. After their removal, the intended effect was to reduce predation on native birds. However, instead of restoring the ecosystem to its pre-human state, the absence of cats led to an unforeseen consequence: a surge in the rabbit population.

Rabbits, also an introduced species, took advantage of the lack of predators and reproduced rapidly, causing extensive damage to the island's vegetation. This resulted in severe ecological imbalances, promoting plant consumption, habitat destruction, and soil erosion. The cascading effects continued, with further potential impacts on other species, including those that depend on plant cover. These changes illustrate the complexity of ecosystems and the unpredictable outcomes that can result from the introduction or removal of species.