Question

What best explains snowshoe hare–lynx population cycles?

Answer 1

Answer:

b. the interaction of food availability and predation intensity

Explanation:

The complete question is as follows:

What best explains snowshoe hare and lynx population cycles?

a. the seasonal trends in food availability

b. the interaction of food availability and predation intensity

c. natural variation in the number of lynxes born

d. the population density of snowshoe hares

• The population of snowshoe hare and lynx are closely linked to each other and this is because the primary food of lynx is the snowshoe hare.
• When the number of hares is more lynx eat more of hares and less of other food and when the number of hares is scarce, lynx eat alternate food.
• However, in the scarcity of hares, the other foods do not provide lynx with their nutritional needs and therefore, many of them leave their home grounds.
• Therefore, when the hare number declines lynx number also declines.
• The population cycle spans over 8-11 years.
• The number of hares decreases at the end of the cycle and so does the number of lynx.
• However, at the beginning when the number of the hare is more, they starve due to competition and are easily caught by the lynx and thus, the lynx population also increases.