Question

Panthers and leopards prey on deer in an ecosystem. For unknown reasons, the population of leopards increased drastically. What are the likely effects of this change on the species?
1 more food for panthers and more competition for leopards
2 less food and more competition for panthers
3 fewer deer and more competition for panthers
4 more food for deer and less competition for panthers and leopards
5 more food for leopards and less competition for panthers

Answer 1

Answer:

3. Fewer deer and more competition for panthers.

Explanation:

The answer that is most probable in this situation is that the number of panthers has decreased, causing there to be more deer for the leopards to prey on. Before this occurred, the leopards and panthers probably competed to prey on deer. If there are significantly less panthers around, more leopards will be able to prey on the deer in the ecosystem.This can also decrease the deer population and make more competition for the panthers, as their numbers would be small compared to those of the leopards.