Question

If you have predators eating your offspring, producing many offspring one random year and hardly any offspring the rest of the years, what will happen to the population size of the predator?

1) The population size of the predator will increase
2) The population size of the predator will decrease
3) The population size of the predator will remain the same
4) Cannot be determined

Answer 1

In a predator-prey relationship where offspring are being consumed and there is fluctuation in the number of offspring produced, the population size of the predator will decrease over time.

Step-by-step explanation:

In a predator-prey relationship, if predators are eating the offspring and there is a high production of offspring in one year followed by low production in subsequent years, the population size of the predator will decrease. When there are many offspring available, predators have abundant resources to feed on, resulting in an increase in their population. However, as the predator population grows, they capture more prey, causing a decline in the prey population. With fewer prey available, the predator population decreases as well. This cyclic interaction between predators and prey continues.