Two species of fish live in the Gulf of Mexico: Green grouper eat slippery slime
ID: 166593 • 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
F) Predator will not change; Prey will decrease
B) Now, instead, Fassume 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
Thanks for the question.
1. The answer is
b) predator will decrease and prey will not change
The reason is that although we are eliminating the predator, the prey continues to compete intraspecifically.
2. The answer is
c)Predator will decrease and prey will decrease
As we are consuming the slimefish, they decrease in number and hence the prey for grouper is also reduced and hence they also decrease.
Thanks
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