Around the Grand Canyon the predators of deer were largely exterminated by people. The deer population grew rapidly as a result of the lack of predators until the deer exhausted their food supply. This led to a massive die-off (known as a population crash) and hundreds of deer died of starvation. The point at which the food supply no longer supported the large deer population can best be considered a
A) model.
B) metastable equilibrium condition.
C) threshold.
D) dynamic equilibrium condition.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The point at which the food supply no longer supported the large deer population can best be considered a threshold, which is the point beyond which a system undergoes a drastic and often irreversible change. In this case, the threshold was crossed when the deer population became too large for the available food supply, leading to a massive die-off. The other choices are not accurate in describing this situation. A model refers to a simplified representation of a system, while a metastable equilibrium condition refers to a state where a system is stable but can be easily disrupted. A dynamic equilibrium condition refers to a state where a system is in a balance between opposing forces, but the situation described here is not one of balance.

Around the Grand Canyon the Predators of Deer Were Largely