Question

. Xai has been studying an area in Africa where lions were hunted to the point that there were practically none in the area. As a result, over the next few years the zebras and antelope in the area started experiencing higher and higher population numbers. Xai thinks this will be very helpful for the ecosystem. Is she correct? Yes, having more antelope and zebras will help trees and shrubs to flourish. No, without a main predator, the antelope and zebras will begin to overpopulate and imbalance the ecosystem. No, the lions were responsible for keeping certain trees and shrubs from overpopulating, and without them the ecosystem will be more imbalanced. Yes, removing a predator from an area is the most effective way to rebalance an ecosystem.

Answer 1

The overpopulation of zebras and antelopes without their predator, the lions, can lead to ecosystem imbalance due to excessive grazing. Lions serve as keystone species, and their presence is crucial for maintaining biodiversity.

Step-by-step explanation:

No, having more antelope and zebras will not necessarily help trees and shrubs to flourish, and it does not necessarily mean it will be helpful for the ecosystem. The absence of a main predator like lions can lead to overpopulation of herbivores such as zebras and antelopes.
This imbalance can cause excessive grazing, leading to degradation of vegetation, which negatively affects the biodiversity of the ecosystem. Rather, predators like lions play a crucial role as keystone species, maintaining the balance by keeping the herbivore populations in check. For instance, the reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone National Park greatly enhanced the ecosystem's biodiversity, demonstrating the importance of such predators in habitat restoration and ecosystem balance.