* Decrease in zebra population: As the lion population increases and consumes more zebras, the zebra population will inevitably decline. This is because lions are efficient predators and can kill multiple zebras at a time, while zebras have a relatively slow reproductive rate.
Long-term effects:
* Changes in plant community: With fewer zebras to consume grasses and other vegetation, the plant community in the ecosystem will begin to change. Grasses and other plants that were previously grazed by zebras may now grow unchecked, leading to changes in the composition and structure of the plant community.
* Changes in the distribution and abundance of other herbivores: The decline in the zebra population could also affect the distribution and abundance of other herbivores in the ecosystem. For example, herbivores that compete with zebras for food or habitat may experience increased competition and have their populations decline as a result. Alternatively, herbivores that benefit from the reduced competition from zebras may experience increased populations.
* Changes in predator-prey dynamics: The increase in lion numbers and the decrease in zebra numbers could disrupt the predator-prey relationship between the two species. This could lead to a situation where the lion population becomes too large for the remaining zebra population to sustain, resulting in a further decline in both species.
In summary, the increase in the lion population and the subsequent decline in the zebra population can have cascading effects on the entire ecosystem, including changes in plant community structure, competition between herbivores, predator-prey interactions, and changes in nutrient cycling. The impacts of these changes can be complex and unpredictable, and they can have long-lasting effects on the structure and function of the ecosystem.