1. Prey & Predator Lab

2. Was your hypothesis true or false? Explain.
Be sure to provide information about why fox/rabbit populations would increase or decrease (food, shelter, predators, etc.)

3. What does population change mean?
This is when the number of individuals increase or decrease because of ____ and ____ due to environmental factors.
Births and deaths

4. List 3 factors that caused a decrease in the rabbit population
October 1979 ten rabbits died because of lack of food and poor climate
April 1981 eight rabbits died because of disease
October 1982 fourteen rabbits died because there wasn’t enough mice so foxes had to eat more rabbits for survival

5. List 2 factors that caused a increase in the rabbit population
October 1980 fifteen rabbits moved into Hyde Farm area because of abundance of food
October 1981 twelve rabbits were born

6. List 3 factors that caused a decrease in the fox population
April 1981 three foxes emigrated because of lack of food
October 1981 three foxes died because of lack of food
October 1982 two foxes died because of hunters

7. List 3 factors that caused a increase in the fox population
October 1979 two foxes immigrated because abundance of food
October 1980 two foxes were born
April eight foxes immigrated because abundance of food

8. How did the presence of pheasants and mice affect the fox population?
October 1979: foxes immigrated because there was more pheasants to eat
October 1981: hunter killed the pheasants so foxes died
April 1982: foxes immigrated because of increase in mice and pheasant populations

9. What will happen to the rabbits if there is a decrease in mouse or pheasant population?
The rabbit population will go down like is did in October 1982 when the mice population went down. Foxes will hunt more rabbits to get enough food if other food sources are unavailable.

10. How do predator and prey populations change?
Prey and predator populations balance each other out. For example, if there are too many predators there will be a decrease in prey. And if there are not enough prey, predator populations will decrease.