Question
Study the diagram of a desert food chain. Cactus Kangaroo rat Snake Fox What would most likely happen if the kangaroo rats were killed off and removed from the food chain? The number of snakes would increase. The number of cactus plants would increase. The number of foxes would be unaffected. The number of cactus plants would be unaffected.
Answer
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Jasper
Elite · Tutor for 8 years
Answer
To answer this question, we need to analyze the impact of removing kangaroo rats from the given food chain:Step 1: Understand the food chain.The food chain is as follows: Cactus → Kangaroo rat → Snake → Fox.Step 2: Consider the role of kangaroo rats.Kangaroo rats are primary consumers that feed on cactus plants. They are a food source for the secondary consumers, snakes.Step 3: Predict the immediate effect of removing kangaroo rats.If kangaroo rats were removed:- There would be less food available for snakes, which could lead to a decrease in the snake population.- Cactus plants would have fewer consumers eating them, which could lead to an increase in the number of cactus plants.Step 4: Consider the tertiary consumers.Foxes, which are tertiary consumers in this food chain, feed on snakes. With a decrease in the snake population, there would likely be less food available for foxes, which could lead to a decrease in the fox population.Step 5: Extract the final answer.Based on the analysis:- The number of snakes would likely decrease, not increase, due to the lack of food (kangaroo rats).- The number of cactus plants would likely increase because there would be fewer kangaroo rats to eat them.- The number of foxes would likely be affected because their food source (snakes) would decrease.- The number of cactus plants would be affected; they would likely increase due to the reduction in their consumption by kangaroo rats.Final Answer:The most likely outcomes if the kangaroo rats were killed off and removed from the food chain are:- The number of snakes would decrease.- The number of cactus plants would increase.- The number of foxes would be affected (likely decrease).- The number of cactus plants would be affected (likely increase).Therefore, the correct statement from the given options is:The number of cactus plants would increase.