Predator–prey phase plane: lynx against hares

An example figure from the Predator–Prey Cycles generator.

Phase plane graph with hares (thousands) on the x-axis and lynx (thousands) on the y-axis: a closed blue loop with four arrows going round it counterclockwise — The same hare and lynx cycle drawn as a phase plane: lynx against hares, both in thousands, over one full cycle. The populations trace a closed loop that goes round counterclockwise, the way the arrows point: hares rise while lynx are few, lynx rise as hares peak, hares fall while lynx are many, and lynx fall while hares are few. One trip round the loop is one cycle.

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Answer key

Period: a cycle every 10 years
Lag: the lynx peak 1.6 years after the hares
Hares (thousands): 16.8 to 111, averaging 50
Lynx (thousands): 6.72 to 44.6, averaging 20

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