A mountain lion population recently experienced a drop in population size. Which of the following would best describe the limiting factor that is involved?

Mountain lions depend on deer for food, so a rapid decline in the deer population would leave less prey available and could limit the number of mountain lions the habitat can support. Increased hunting restrictions would tend to protect mountain lions, and a decline in a parasite would generally reduce harm to them. The best choice is the deer population’s rapid decline due to a parasite.

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