Skip to content

#ecosystem impact

10 public questions tagged with this topic.

Top predators impact ecosystems by controlling:

“Population size of prey” for top predators impact ecosystems by controlling. This relationship follows from the ecological mechanism represented by the terms in the item, not merely from an association between their names. Evidence should connect encounter rates or resource use to survival, growth, or reproduction. The ecological label follows that causal effect rather than superficial proximity between organisms. The remaining alternatives—“Nutrients”, “Primary productivity”, “Abiotic factors”—refer to different states, processes, or scales and therefore do not express the same causal relati

Ref: Fundamentals of Ecology, Odum & Barrett, 5th Ed., Ch. 4

Invasive species in diversity-rich ecosystems:

“Generally invade easily” for invasive species in diversity-rich ecosystems. This relationship follows from the ecological mechanism represented by the terms in the item, not merely from an association between their names. Diversity can influence ecosystem functioning through complementarity, facilitation, and insurance among species, although the relationship depends on which traits are represented rather than species number alone. The remaining alternatives—“Always fail”, “Quick extinction”, “Enhance native richness”—refer to different states, processes, or scales and therefore do not expres

Ref: Ecology: From Individuals to Ecosystems, Begon et al., 5th Ed., Ch. 21

Species disproportionately affecting environments:

“Keystone species” for species disproportionately affecting environments. This relationship follows from the ecological mechanism represented by the terms in the item, not merely from an association between their names. Effective control reduces propagule pressure or population growth without causing unacceptable non-target effects. Repeated monitoring is necessary because seed banks, dormant stages, recolonization, and density-dependent compensation can reverse short-term gains. The remaining alternatives—“Indicator species”, “Flagship species”, “Umbrella species”—refer to different states, p

Ref: Ecology: From Individuals to Ecosystems, Begon et al., 5th Ed., Ch. 21

Invasive species typically become problematic because of their:

“High competition and rapid reproduction” for invasive species typically become problematic because of their. This relationship follows from the ecological mechanism represented by the terms in the item, not merely from an association between their names. Management outcomes depend on scale and context: suppressing abundance at one site does not guarantee regional eradication when dispersal reconnects treated and untreated populations. The remaining alternatives—“Low dispersal ability”, “Specialized dietary habits”, “Strict habitat requirements”—refer to different states, processes, or scales

Ref: NCERT Biology Class 12, Ch. 15 Biodiversity and Conservation

Introduction of predators like rats and cats most affects:

“Island birds” for introduction of predators like rats and cats most affects. This relationship follows from the ecological mechanism represented by the terms in the item, not merely from an association between their names. Extinction risk rises when abundance, geographic range, or genetic variation becomes small because demographic chance, environmental fluctuations, inbreeding, and rare catastrophes then have disproportionate effects. Correlated losses among subpopulations further weaken regional persistence. The remaining alternatives—“Marine mammals”, “Terrestrial reptiles”, “Amphibians”—r

Ref: Conservation Biology, Primack & Sher, 6th Ed., Ch. 7

In rivet hypothesis, species loss impacts:

The rivet hypothesis predicts accumulating, often stepwise deterioration as species are removed. Individual losses may initially have small effects, yet each removes part of the system's functional support, so resilience and performance decline and eventual collapse becomes increasingly likely. Species richness counts taxa but does not show their abundance, traits, or interaction strengths. Dominant species may control bulk process rates, rare species may provide specialized functions or future insurance, and predators can restructure whole food webs through indirect effects. Functional groups

Ref: NCERT Biology Class 12, Ch. 15 Biodiversity and Conservation

What does eutrophication cause?

Eutrophication is enrichment of water with nutrients, especially phosphorus in many fresh waters and nitrogen in many coastal systems. The added nutrients remove a growth limitation on phytoplankton or cyanobacteria, allowing rapid population increase that appears as an algal bloom. Dense blooms reduce water clarity and shade submerged vegetation. When algal cells die, bacteria decompose the organic matter and consume dissolved oxygen; stratified bottom waters may then become hypoxic or anoxic. Fish kills, loss of oxygen-sensitive species, toxin-producing cyanobacteria, unpleasant odours, and

Ref: Ecology: Concepts and Applications, Molles, 9th Ed., Ch. 2-3