Assume that snowshoe hares live for a maximum of two years (consider only the newborns and one-year olds).

Census in the summer soon after the breeding season. After the census, newborn individuals survive predation with a 25% probability and survive starvation over winter with a 50% probability. Let's assume that older individuals aren't at risk of predation, but that one year old individuals still have a 50% probability of dying over winter. If one-year olds do survive winter to breed, they die immediately after breeding and so two-year old individuals are never censused.

If the newborns survive to the next year, they will have four babies in the following spring. If the one year olds survive to the next year, they will have eight babies.

If red squirrels are removed, predation among the newborns declines, and the probability of surviving predation goes up to 75%. What effect would red squirrel removal have on the growth rate of the population and its age distribution?