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Learning Outcome: To examine the effects of removing a keystone species from the environment using a virtual lab
Predation is one factor that can limit the growth of a population. When predation ceases, a prey population that is
normally somewhat stable can explode, causing effects to ripple out across the entire food web. The predator doesn’t
need to be an apex predator in order to have this kind of effect on a community. In this lab activity, you will see
what happens when such a keystone species is removed from an ecosystem.
Step 1: Choose only one organism from each trophic level and make sure that the food chain goes in a straight line from one trophic
level to the next.
Step 2: Click on Plant B icon. Let Plant B survive on its own and see what happens.
Step 3: Predict whether each species will survive, and whether it will increase or decrease in number, as well as whether Plant B
will survive to the end
Prediction:
All of the specie will survive, but plant B will have a lot of population, since there is no organism that will control it population. It’s
also the possibility that while plant A population being reduce by herbivore A, plant B take over the space, thus plant A do not
replenish and lead to plat A, herbivore A and omnivore A to be extinct.
Step 4: Click on the “Run” icon. The simulation will run for 100 days.
Step 6: Reset and run the simulation again and record your data.
Use X for "die out," ↑ for "increase in numbers," and ↓ for "decrease in numbers."
1. Was your prediction correct? How did you arrive at your prediction? What differences were there between your
prediction and the simulation?
A: My prediction is not quite accurate to the result of the simulation. I thought, that since there is no organism that eat plant B,
plant B would have a lot of population while plant A and the rest would have low population. It’s turn out to be that plant B actually
have less population than plant A.
2. What would happen to this imaginary ecosystem if the producers were to die out?
A: The rest of the ecosystem would collapse. The herbivore will not have food, therefore result in starvation. When all of herbivore
died, the omnivore will also follow, because the omnivore would not have food to survive.
3. Did any of the species increase in number? What could account for this increase? Which species decreased in number and
what might account for this decrease?
A: Both animal increase in number. Herbivore increase in number because there is plenty of plant A to be eaten. When the
population of herbivore increase, that’s mean more food for the omnivore, so the omnivore population increase. On the other hand,
both plant A and B decrease in number. Plant A’s population decrease because herbivore A eat them. While plant B might got
outcompete by plant A, result in decrease population.
4. Which populations would benefit the most from the presence of decomposers?
A: Plants, because decomposer will decompose other organism and return the nutrient into the soil, where the plants can
utilize.
Step 3: Click on all the plant icons. They plants should cover up the bare ground on simulation.
Step 4: Click Herbivore A. Select Herbivore A eats Plants A, Plant B, and Plant C.
All of the plant will decrease in population slightly, because both herbivore and omnivores eat them. All of the animal, should stay
relatively the same, because herbivores would have a lot of food to sustain themselves. While top predator will control the
omnivores population from being too large and eat all of the plants and herbivores
Step 11: Click on the “Run” icon. The simulation will run for 100 days.
Step 13: Run the simulation again and record your data.
Use X for "die out," ↑ for "increase in numbers," and ↓ for "decrease in numbers."
(X, , or ) Plant A Plant B Plant C Herbivore A Herbivore B Herbivore C Omnivore A Omnivore B Top Predator
A: My prediction is partially correct. Plants do decrease in population but by substantial amount. The herbivores actually
increase in number a lot. The omnivores stay relatively the same as predicted. While predator’s population increase by
substantial amount.
A: I thought the plant will be reduce in its population because there are both herbivore and omnivore that eat them, but the
population of herbivore will get control by omnivore so the herbivore don’t have too much population. While the top
predator would keep the population for the omnivore in healthy number.
3. What differences were there between your prediction and the simulation?
A: Plants get a huge population reduction, plant A is completely wipe out, instead of reducing only slightly.
(which is surprising because plant A was proven to be stronger than other plant, but in this case, they go
extinct.) While herbivore get huge population increase, but in my prediction the herbivore should stay the same.
The omnivore instead of being the same, it’s population reduce quite drastic. (considering that it’s start with
only 100 omnivores.) Top predator instead of having relatively the same population, the top predator population
sky rocket.
Step 3: Click on all the plant icons. They plants should cover up the bare ground on simulation.
Step 4: Click Herbivore A. Select Herbivore A eats Plants A, Plant B, and Plant C.
Step 5: Click Herbivore B. Select Herbivore B eats Plants A, Plant B, and Plant C.
Step 6: Click Herbivore C. Select Herbivore
C eats Plants A, Plant B, and Plant C.
Prediction:
Step 11: Click on the “Run” icon. The simulation will run for 100 days.
Step 13: Run the simulation again and record your data.
Use X for "die out," ↑ for "increase in numbers," and ↓ for "decrease in numbers."
(X, , or ) Plant A Plant B Plant C Herbivore A Herbivore B Herbivore C Omnivore A Omnivore B Top Predator
Simulation 2 X
A: For plants, herbivores, and predator I predict correctly. While, the omnivore actually increases 25% of its population.
A: As I state in my prediction, I see a trend that all of the organism will eat food in order, from A to B and to C. That’s why I can
predict the population of plants. For herbivore, I see that they only have one predator, therefore will have a lot of new population,
while not much of themselves getting eaten. The omnivore I thought will stay the same, even though they have a lot of food, but
they have top predator that specifically will eat them. The predator should have increase population because there is no natural
enemy against them.
3. What differences were there between your prediction and the simulation?
Step 3: Click on all the plant icons. They plants should cover up the bare ground on simulation.
Prediction:
The plant will be the same as before, A will go extinct. Plant B and C, will get population’s decrease, the plant B will reduce more
than plant C. The herbivore will get population decrease because now there is two omnivores to eat them, and no top predator to
stop the omnivore. The omnivore will get population increase. These are rely on the assumption that the omnivore did not wipe
every other species out before the end of 100 days. If the omnivore did wipe out everything, everything will go extinct. Even the
omnivore itself because its lost off all of it food source. But if there will be one omnivore surviving, it’s will have to n=be better
than another omnivore.
Step 11: Click on the “Run” icon. The simulation will run for 100 days.
Step 13: Run the simulation again and record your data.
Use X for "die out," ↑ for "increase in numbers," and ↓ for "decrease in numbers."
(X, , or ) Plant A Plant B Plant C Herbivore A Herbivore B Herbivore C Omnivore A Omnivore B Top Predator
A: All of my prediction is correct except the fact the plant B population actually stay the same.
A: Certain specie will become overpopulate and then they will exhaust most of the resources from the ecosystem
4. Was the ecosystem with or without the top predator most stable?
A: The ecosystem with top predator is more stable than the one without top predator.
5. How long did it take for the ecosystem to become stable after the removal of the top predator?
A: Around 70 days.