If a predator is removed from an ecosystem, what is the most likely effect on the prey population?

• A. The Population Will Shrink.
• B. The Population Will Stay the Same.
• C. The Population of the Prey Will Become Extinct.
• D. The Population of the Prey Will Increase.

Answer: (D)

When predators are present, they help keep prey numbers in balance by removing individuals. If the predator is removed, fewer prey are killed, so more individuals survive to reproduce. With lower predation, the prey population is free to grow, at least until other limits like food or space slow it down. So the most likely outcome is an increase in the prey population, at least in the short term, because the main pressure keeping those numbers down has been removed.