A small group of mice are released on an island without mice but with abundant food for mice and no predators. After the population size stabilizes for several years, a hurricane drastically reduces it. We can now say that:. A) the biotic potential of the population has been reduced.
B) its new population size is a result of density-dependent regulation.
C) its new population size is a result of density-independent regulation.
D) it can now act as a sink metapopulation.

The correct answer is option C) The new mice population size is a result of density-independent regulation.

The carrying capacity might be affected by different factors, known as limiting factors, which might be a result of the population density (for example, competition) or might be density-independent. This last case refers to dense-independent factors, and among these, we can mention human impact or natural disasters (fires, volcanic eruption, flooding). Natural disaster causes damages in an ecosystem, reducing the available resources such as food or shelter, and consequently decreases the number of individuals. Natural disasters reduce the carrying capacity of the environment

In the exposed example, mice got to stabilize on the island. The population had enough food and no predators. But the occurrense of the huricane reduced drastically the population size. This is an example of a natural dissaster acting as a limiting dense-independent factor affecting the population size.

Related link:

i am going to guess that it is co2.

"d.) carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide"