Question

The graph indicates the number of antelopes in a certain area over a period of time. Which of the following factors is most likely to have caused the sudden change in population between 1999 and 2000?

Answer 1

Answer:

some sort of natural calamity has occured so that there is a sudden reduction in the population.

Explanation:

Answer 2

Following are the factors that may have caused the sudden change in population between 1999 and 2000:-

The graph shows a stable constant population depending on the resources present in the environment until the year 1999 which suddenly declines till 2000 leading to further growth of population from a small number of surviving individuals. This phenomenon is called as Bottleneck effect.

• Disease outbreak - some epidemic may have spread in the area and may have caused a decline in the Antelope population.
• Natural calamity - natural environmental disasters may have caused a decline in the population of Antelopes.
• Increase in predator population - Increasing predator population causes a decline in its prey population.
• Competition - sudden invasion in the area due to an invasive species (vigorously growing)  may lead to decreased availability of resources leading to decline in the population of Antelopes.