Use the figure below to answer the following questions. You are a pest managemen

Question

Use the figure below to answer the following questions. You are a pest management consultant. On one of the farms you have been contracted to manage, populations of predator and prey (two species of mites) seem to oscillate in a stable fashion around equilibrium sizes for both species. Indeed, this system seems to follow predictions of the Lotka-Volterra predator prey model rather nicely. You are concerned by a recent report about a newly evolved genotype of the prey species. The new genotype differs from the original in that it has a higher population value of r, the exponential growth rate. What might happen if this new genotype invaded the farm you're managing and completely displaced the original genotype? Will the equilibrium population density of the prey increase? How will the predator respond?

Explanation / Answer

As it is the r selected species, the number of progeny increases exponentially. If this genotype displaces the original genotype completely, then the farm would be damaged. And we cannot control the new genotype, as the new genotype might be much resistant to the pest we use.

Yes, the equilibrium population density of the prey increase to certain limit, as there are not enough predators to control the prey. The prey population keep on rising until they suffer from lack of enough resources.

Predators respond quickly to the growing prey population. They eat more prey.

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