Ecosystems Interactive Simulation

Predator and prey populations are linked in a dynamic balance. When prey is plentiful food fuels predator growth; more predators then eat more prey, reducing the prey population, which in turn causes predator numbers to drop — and the cycle repeats. This Lotka-Volterra-type oscillation is a cornerstone of ecology. Students can change starting prey and starting predators and compare what happens. Use it for biology inquiry with Grades 4–5, Middle School, and High School on a projector or student device.

استانداردها: NGSS MS-LS2-1

• Why predator numbers always lag behind prey numbers (the 1.2 radian phase shift)
• What happens to the oscillation when you start with very few predators
• Why a large starting prey population eventually supports more predators
• How removing predators entirely affects the prey population over time
• Real-world examples: lynx-snowshoe hare, wolves-elk in Yellowstone

1. 1Predict how changing starting prey will affect the prey now, then test the prediction.
2. 2Use evidence from the interactive visual to explain the result.

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