Final answer:
Changes in a lizard population due to a hurricane can be attributed to alterations in habitat availability, food sources, and mating patterns. The impact of a hurricane can lead to immediate dangers and lasting environmental challenges, potentially causing significant changes in the behavior and physical characteristics of wildlife, including lizards.
Step-by-step explanation:
When considering why changes may have occurred in a lizard population due to a hurricane, various ecological factors play a role. These changes can impact habitat availability, which includes the physical space where lizards can live and find shelter. Moreover, the impact on food sources is significant, as a hurricane may destroy or wash away the flora and fauna that form part of the lizards' diet, forcing them to adapt to new food sources or risk starvation. Lastly, the disruption of mating patterns can occur, as the hurricane can scatter populations, alter the timing of breeding seasons or change the physical traits deemed attractive for mating.
During a natural disaster such as a hurricane, seabirds and other wildlife can face immediate peril and long-term challenges. Short-term changes could include effects on seasonal patterns and life cycles of insects and animals, which would influence the food chain. In contrast, long-term effects may include a change in flowering times of plants or the rise in water levels that potentially destroy entire ecosystems.
In regard to specific characteristics predicted to change in two separated lizard populations where one island has no predators and the other has a fierce predator, we can expect differences in behavior, physical adaptations, and survival strategies. For example, the lizards on the predator-free island might show traits favorable to resource competition, such as increased size or dominance behaviors. Conversely, lizards on the island with predators may develop enhanced camouflage, agility, or other anti-predator adaptations, leading to a potential divergence between the two populations.