TLS Online TPP Program

#Question id: 12775


Field observation suggests that populations of a particular species of herbivorous mammal undergo cyclic fluctuations in  density  at  three-  to  five-year  intervals.  Which  of  the  following  represent  (a)  plausible  explanation(s)  of  these cycles?

#Unit 10. Ecological Principles
  1. Periodic crowding affects the endocrine system, resulting in increased aggressiveness. 
  2. Increases in population density lead to increased rates  of predation.
  3. Increases in rates of herbivory lead to changes in the nutritive value of plants used as food. 
  4. All of the above are plausible explanations of population cycling.