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Q. No.A researcher observes the following trends in a coastal ecosystem:
- A key predator (a crab species) is removed from the intertidal zone.
- Within a year, many smaller invertebrate species become extremely abundant.
- Soon after, several of these invertebrates begin to competitively exclude others, leading to a sharp decline in the number of species present.
- Plant biomass in the area begins to fluctuate wildly.
- Chemical defences of certain plant species increase as grazing pressure rises.
Which conclusion BEST fits the observations above?
1. Predators maintain species diversity by preventing any one prey species from outcompeting others.
2. Predators always decrease biodiversity by consuming many prey species.
3. Chemical defences in plants evolve only after complete predator removal.
4. Plant fluctuations occur only because predators normally perform photosynthesis.
- A key predator (a crab species) is removed from the intertidal zone.
- Within a year, many smaller invertebrate species become extremely abundant.
- Soon after, several of these invertebrates begin to competitively exclude others, leading to a sharp decline in the number of species present.
- Plant biomass in the area begins to fluctuate wildly.
- Chemical defences of certain plant species increase as grazing pressure rises.
Which conclusion BEST fits the observations above?
1. Predators maintain species diversity by preventing any one prey species from outcompeting others.
2. Predators always decrease biodiversity by consuming many prey species.
3. Chemical defences in plants evolve only after complete predator removal.
4. Plant fluctuations occur only because predators normally perform photosynthesis.
Subtopic: Population Interactions: Predation |
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