Question

Scientists have been studying four populations in a swamp area. In this area, alligators eat gar (a type of large fish), and both gar and diving ducks eat crabs. The data showed that recently the alligator population has decreased. How could the decrease in the alligator population affect the other populations? Be sure to explain whether the gar population, the diving duck population, and the crab population will change, and why.

Answer 1

There wouldn't be enough resources for the alligator population to live off of thus decreasing its population number. This decrease affects the other populations because it without alligators, its predators and prey wouldn't gain its nutrition from it and it would overall change its environments' habitation. The gar population would increase because they wouldn't be eaten by the alligators and therefore increasing the diving duck population as well. The crab population would decrease because the gar (their prey) population increased which overcomes the number of crab in the population.

Step-by-step explanation:

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