Study the following statements concerning food chains and select the c...
Correct statements:
- Statement (II): Removal of most of the carnivores resulted in an increased population of deer.
- Statement (III): The length of food chains is generally limited to 3-4 trophic levels due to energy loss.
Explanation:Removing most of the carnivores from an area can lead to an increased population of deer. This is because the carnivores, such as tigers, prey on deer, and their presence helps control the deer population. When the number of carnivores decreases, deer populations can grow unchecked.
The length of food chains is generally limited to 3-4 trophic levels due to energy loss. In a food chain, energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next as organisms consume each other. However, energy is lost at each transfer due to metabolic processes and heat production. As a result, there is not enough energy available to sustain long food chains beyond a few trophic levels. This is known as the 10% rule, where only about 10% of the energy from one trophic level is transferred to the next.
Incorrect statements:
- Statement (I): Removal of 80% tigers from an area resulted in greatly increased growth of vegetation.
- Statement (IV): The length of food chains may vary from 2 to 8 trophic levels.
Removing 80% of tigers from an area is unlikely to result in greatly increased growth of vegetation. Tigers are top carnivores in their ecosystems and play a role in regulating prey populations, such as deer. While a decrease in tiger population may lead to some changes in the ecosystem, it is unlikely to cause a significant increase in vegetation growth.
The length of food chains can vary, but generally, they are limited to 3-4 trophic levels due to energy loss. While it is possible to have food chains with fewer or more trophic levels, the majority of food chains in ecosystems tend to fall within this range. Longer food chains require more energy and have less efficiency in energy transfer, making them less common.