Ecology 6 - Predator Prey Interaction

Question 1

Explain predation

Answer 1

• One population of animals feeds (preys) on another population
• Increases the abundance of the predator at the expense of the prey

eg ) lizard feeding on insects

Question 2

Wxplain predator-prey dynamics

Answer 2

• Gause’s experiment shows that the density of the predator can be affected by the density of the prey,
• As the predator population suffered when there was no more prey
• In nature, predator and prey populations influence each other in a dynamic way – a change in the density of one will cause a change in the density of the other
• Predator population lags slightly behind the prey population

Question 3

Explain cycling populations

Answer 3

Caused by a combination of interactions between predator and prey and of food availability of the prey

Question 4

What did Gause illustrate

Answer 4

Predators reduce the density of their prey