A population of Eastern Cottontail rabbits lives in a particular ecosystem. This population's major predator is the coyote and its major food source is vegetation. Which of the following would most likely cause a decrease in the population of Eastern Cottontails in this ecosystem? A. a decrease in the coyote population B. an increase in vegetation in the ecosystem C. an increase in the coyote population D. a decrease of disease in the rabbit population

The answer is C because if there are more coyotes, more rabbits would be eaten by them.

The correct answer is C. An increasse in the coyote population.

Explanation

The food chain is a system of food relationships between producer, consumer, and decomposer organisms. This system, in other words, serves to inform which organism eats which, because a living being feeds on another that precedes it in the chain and so on is eaten by the one that follows it. According to the example in the question, vegetation would be the first organism in the chain, the second organism would be the rabbit and the third organism would be the coyote. Likewise, if the coyote population increased, the coyotes would eat more rabbits so, the Cottontail rabbit population will decrease. So, the correct answer is A. C. An increasse in the coyote population.