ap environmental: Mr.Galdo's class; Why are there more zebras than lions in africa?

lions are predators which are tertiary and/or secondary consumers in every level of food chain only 10% of the energy is passed so higher levels need to eat more then 1 .

Get what i mean?

if it was the other way around then the lions would die of not having enough food.

Zebras Food Chain

If we assume that zebras are the primary prey of lions then there must be more of the prey animal than the predator or the predator will wipe out the prey causing both to be killed off. If it was the other way around the Lions would rapidly deplete the Zebra population and then they would experience a massive die off after they couldn't find food.

10% energy is passed along to each level on the food chain. that means that animals must consume more than one of what they eat to live to get enough energy. since 90% energy is lost along each level the food chain, that means that producers are the most high-energy thing to eat. However, lions can't eat these high energy plants because lions are tertiary consumers (that means they're highest on the food chain) so they are receiving the least amount of energy, and therefore must eat more than one zebra, or they will starve. if there were less zebras than lions, the lions would not have enough to eat and die out, taking the zebras with them.

think: if humans ate only pork but there weren't as many pigs as humans, what would happen?

Hope i helped!

Because if there weren't, all the zebras would disappear, and then so would the lions. Zebras are herbivores, and there is a lot of grasses and vegetation in the areas where the zebras thrive. Lions are carnivores, and can't survive on grasses and vegetation.

im not sure, but this is my theory im taking this class next year btw

zebras are herbivores and in the food chain there should be more herbivores than carnivores, because the lion is at the top of the food chart, and zebras are lower,so i think it depends on the food chain

OHHH....Mr Galdo!

I sit right behind you!!

Yeah......I didn't get that question either. By the way........can I borrow a pencil, I need to work on this assignment too.

Predator/prey relationship. There are always more prey.