Question

What were the ecological consequences of the rinderpest parasite for wildebeests and buffalo in the african savannah? choose 2 answers.

a. they learned to avoid the cattle ranches that spread the disease.
b. populations grew exponentially after the rinderpest vaccine was introduced.
c. it held populations below carrying capacity.
d. they developed heightened immunity to invasive parasites.

Answer 1

The rinderpest parasite caused wildebeest and buffalo populations to remain below carrying capacity until an effective vaccination campaign allowed for exponential population growth, profoundly impacting the savannah ecosystems.

Step-by-step explanation:

The introduction of the rinderpest parasite to the African savannah had devastating effects on wildlife, especially on wildebeests and buffalo populations. Two major ecological consequences of the rinderpest outbreak were:

1. Populations grew exponentially after the rinderpest vaccine was introduced due to the successful vaccination campaign, which significantly controlled the disease that had previously kept population numbers low.
2. It held populations below carrying capacity for an extended period, as the high mortality rates due to rinderpest meant that many ungulate species could not reach the numbers that the environment could potentially support.

Rinderpest directly affected the entire ecosystems since ungulates are key players in vegetation structure and dynamics. The eventual eradication of rinderpest through artificial immunisation allowed these populations to recover and even boom, profoundly affecting the structure and ecology of the savannah.