When rapa nui (easter island) was colonized by a small number of humans it was covered with trees and abundant food types. within a thousand years the rapa nui population disappeared and the island was grassy. which of the following is the most plausible cause of the population crash? as the population increased, a. the different groups warred with each other reducing the overall population. b. the people used the island as a resting place before moving onto other islands c. the people cut down the trees for shelter and overused the food available faster than the resources were replenished d. new immigrants brought a disease with them that caused a fatal epidemic