A species of protozoan-carrying mosquito lives in a meadow. The protozoan, if transmitted to mammal hosts through a bit, can be
fatal to the host. Two species of rabbits, species I and II, both live in this meadow. Species I is immune to the protozoan but species II is not. The mosquito is a main food source for a bat species that lives around the meadow. If all of these bats are eliminated suddenly by a white nose fungal infection, what would be the most likely outcome?
The population of species II of rabbit would reduce.
Explanation:
This is because the reduction of bat populations that feed on the mosquitoes means the population of mosquitoes increases. The increase in mosquito population means a higher encounter of mosquitoes with the rabbits transmitting the protozoan. Due to the reduced immunity of species II to the protozoans then their population will reduce.
