Final answer:
R-selected species, such as rabbits, are adapted to unstable environments where they mature early, have short lifespans, and produce many offspring with little to no parental care. They employ a reproductive strategy allowing for rapid population growth in response to favorable conditions.
Step-by-step explanation:
R-selected species like rabbits are adapted to unstable and unpredictable environments. These environments promote a reproductive strategy that involves early maturation, short lifespans, and producing many offspring that typically do not receive parental care.
This strategy differs significantly from K-selected species like elephants, which exist in stable environments, reproduce later in life, have fewer offspring, and invest significant resources into each one. While both are on a continuum of life-history strategies, r-selected species exemplify traits that enable rapid population increase when conditions are favorable, but are also subjected to high mortality rates and population fluctuations.
These strategies were historically framed within the r- and K-selection theory, although modern ecological studies have led to a reconsideration of this model, integrating more complex factors of life history and population dynamics.