After the European Rabbit Was Introduced into Australia in 1859

question 124

Essay

After the European rabbit was introduced into Australia in 1859, it quickly became a devastating invasive species, causing the extinction or decline of many native animals and plants, major damage to crops, and soil erosion. To control the exponential growth of the population (which had grown to an estimated 600 million individuals from an original 24), biologists infected rabbits with the myxoma virus in 1950. It is estimated that in the first years after introduction of the virus, as many as 99 percent of infected rabbits died. Over a period of years, however, biologists observed an increase both in the average life span of infected rabbits and in the percentage of rabbits surviving infection. How would you explain these changes?

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Definitions:

Final Goods

Products that have been processed to their final form and are ready for use by the consumer or to be incorporated into another product.

Constant Prices

Prices that have been adjusted for inflation, allowing for the comparison of economic data over time without the effects of price level changes.

Durable Goods

Durable goods are items with a long useful life, typically three years or more, such as appliances and vehicles, which consumers purchase with the expectation that they will not need to be replaced frequently.

Capital Equipment

Long-term assets such as machinery, vehicles, or infrastructure that a business uses in its operations to produce goods or services.