Practice question

An increase in prey provides more feeding opportunities and energy to predators, so predator survival, fecundity, or recruitment typically rises after a time lag. In the Lotka–Volterra predator equation dP/dt = baNP − mP, increasing prey density N raises the positive consumption-and-conversion term baNP. When N exceeds m/(ba), energetic gains exceed predator mortality and the predator population grows. The lag reflects time needed for prey consumption to improve body condition, gestation, development, or recruitment, which is why predator peaks commonly follow prey peaks in time-series graphs. Predator decline is expected after prey scarcity, not abundance. A constant level or no change could occur temporarily if predators are limited by territory, disease, handling saturation, or another factor, but it is not the basic consumer–resource prediction. Very abundant prey can saturate intake, producing a plateau rather than unlimited predator growth. The mechanistic link remains a positive numerical response: increased resource availability raises predator population performance when food is limiting.