Two species of fish live in the Gulf of Mexico: Green grouper eat slippery slime
ID: 166590 • Letter: T
Question
Two species of fish live in the Gulf of Mexico: Green grouper eat slippery slimefish (and no other prey). Grouper have a type I functional response and slippery slimefish compete intraspecifically. For years, the two species have persisted at a stable equilibrium. But now, humans have discovered that one of these species is really delicious...
A.) What will happen to the equilibrium (i.e., over the long-term) of the predator and prey as we increase the harvesting rate on the grouper (from zero to something large)?
a) Predator will decrease; Prey will increase
b) Predator will decrease; Prey will not change
c) Predator will not change; Prey will increase
d) Predator will not change; Prey will not change
e) Predator will decrease; Prey will decrease
) Predator will not change; Prey will decrease
B) Now, instead, assume that the fish that we harvest is the slimefish (despite its name, it really is delicious). What will happen to the equilibrium of the two species as we increase the harvesting rate on the slimefish (from zero to something large)?
a) Predator willdecrease; Prey will increase
b) Predator will decrease; Prey will not change
c) Predator will decrease; Prey will decrease
d) Predator will not change; Prey will increase
e) Predator will not change; Prey will not change
f) Predator will not change; Prey will decrease
Explanation / Answer
A) predator will not change, prey will decrease (Option f)
since we increased the harvesting rate of predator, the predator will not decrease.however, the increase in predator will obviously cause decrease in prey. And the increase in predator would be balanced with the consumption of predator.
B) predator will not change, prey will increase (option d)
both predator and prey may increase or else, the predator will not change. since the harvesting rate of prey is high, the food availability for predators also becomes high. therefore there would be no decrease in predators. however, since the consumption rate is not given but harvesting rate is given, we can assume prey will increase.
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