The graph shown above is from one of the most well-known and on-going ecological studies ever performed. Isle Royal National Park, an island on Lake Superior, keeps data of populations of wolves and moose living there. The moose are a major food source for the wolves.
Analyze the graph data to conclude how the moose population affects the population of wolves.
Responses
A As moose populations increase, wolf populations immediately increase
B As wolf population falls, moose populations fall with a delayed effect.
C Moose populations don't really show any relationship to wolf carrying capacity.
D The wolf carrying-capacity rises as moose populations increase, but with a delayed effect.
B - As wolf population falls, moose populations fall with a delayed effect.
From the graph, we can see that the wolf population (green line) and moose population (blue line) have an inverse relationship - when one population is high, the other is low. This suggests that as the wolf population decreases, the moose population increases due to reduced predation pressure. However, this increase in moose population eventually leads to a decrease in wolf population as the wolves exhaust their food source, leading to a delayed effect. This pattern is consistent with the predator-prey relationship seen in ecological studies.