FIGURE 19.5 Population oscillations in lynx and hares. Both lynx and hares exhibit repeated oscillations of abundance, with the lynx population peaking 1 to 2 years after the hare population. When hares are not abundant, there is plenty of food, which allows the hare population to increase. As the hare population increases, there are more hares for lynx to eat, so then the lynx population increases. As the hare population becomes very abundant, they start to run out of food and the hare population dies off. As hares become less abundant, the lynx population subsequently dies off. With less predation and more food once again available, the hare population increases again, and the cycle repeats.
(Data from Hudson’s Bay Company)