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Complete the blanks in the following sentence from the multiple-choice selections below.

Figure 1 illustrates that when orcas started eating sea otters, the sea otter population [blank 1], the urchin population [blank 2], and the kelp population [blank 3]. _______


a. decreased, decreased, decreased

b. decreased, increased, decreased

c. increased, decreased, increased

d. dincrease, increased, increased


Sagot :

B. Decreased, increased, decreased

In trophic webs, any change affecting one of the links affects the superior and the immediately anterior link. Option b) decreased, increased, decreased.

What is a trophic web?

The trophic web is the interaction between different organisms involving transference of energy when some of them feed on the other ones. The ones placed at lower levels pass energy to the ones at the higher levels.

Organisms at each level feed on the preceding one and become food for the next one.

• The first link corresponds to a producer organism -autotroph-.

• The following links are the consumers -heterotrophs-: herbivores and carnivores.

• The last links are the decomposers that degrade organic matter from dead organisms.

Because it is a web, all organisms are in equilibrium until a change occurs. When a sudden change affects any of the involved links, there can be a cascade effect on the web.

Any change in a link population size (increasing or decreasing) will affect the superior links and the immediately anterior link.

To answer this question, we need to think about predatio-prey relationship.

In this food chain we know that

  • Urchins feed on kelp.
  • Sea otters feed on urchins,
  • and orcas feed on sea otters.

So, the more orcas there are, the less sea otters there will be, because many orcas are feeding on them. Sea otters' population decreases in size.

↑ ocas ⇒ ↓ sea otters

Since there are fewer sea otters, the urchin population will be able to increase in size, because they are not affected by sea otter predation as they used to be.  

↓ sea otter ⇒ ↑ urchins

Finally, the more urchins there are, the more affected kelp will be, because predation on them by urchins increases.

↑ urchins ⇒ ↓ kelp

The correct option is then option b. decreased, increased, decreased

↑ ocas ⇒ ↓ sea otters ⇒ ↑ urchins ⇒ ↓ kelp

                  decrease         increase      decrease

You can elarn mor about trophic webs at

https://brainly.com/question/516534

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