Review the chart, which shows the population sizes of three African animals in 1990 and in 2000. Population Estimates of Animals
in Africa in 1990 and in 2000 1990 2000 Lions 100,000 47,000 Cheetahs 50,000 7,500 Zebras 15,000 2,500 Which explanation is best supported by the numbers in the chart? Lion and cheetah populations compete for the food source of zebras, and lions outcompete cheetahs. The dwindling zebra population has led to the decline of the predator lion and cheetah populations. Overhunting of lion and cheetah populations has led to a decline in the food source population. Lion and cheetah populations compete for the food source of zebras, and cheetahs outcompete lions.
Answer: Lion and cheetah populations compete for the food source of zebras, and lions outcompete cheetah.
Limiting factors are those factors in the ecosystem which can limit the growth of population of a species in an ecosystem. Predation and competition are two limiting factors in the ecosystem that can decrease or extinct the population of a species. Predation is a limiting factor in which predatory organisms are dependent upon a prey organisms. This is natures way of limiting the surplus growth of prey population and to maintain a balance in ecological community. Competition is a limiting factor in which one or more same or different type of organisms compete for the same resource in an ecosystem. The one which is more competitive will derive those resources other than the one which is less competitive.
According to the given data, it is evident that the population decline in predator cheetah and lion populations because of decline in zebra population but the decline in cheetah population is more than that of lion. It explains the fact that lion is more competitive than cheetah in deriving the food which is already limited. Therefore, lion outcompete cheetah.
