Go to the following web link- http://media.hhmi.org/biointeractive/click/trophic

Question

Go to the following web link- http://media.hhmi.org/biointeractive/click/trophiccascades/?_ga=2.71133017.874546303.1495559246-1279517233.1480957413

Complete the first slides of the introduction. Next, follow the first example of sea otters, and answer the following questions.

What does the otter eat? _________________

How does the consumption by the otter effect the growth of the Kelp forest?

Is this a direct or indirect effect? _________________

Is this a positive or negative effect? _________________                  

What happened to the kelp forest when the otter was hunted to near extinction?

Removal of the sea otter, a top predator also had an impact on two other species, the gull and the Eagle.

How did the gull diet change with the removal of the otter from the ecosystem?

How did the eagle diet change with the removal of the otter from the ecosystem?                                                                                           

Choose 1 of the case studies provided and write a summary of what happens when the top predator is present, including direct, indirect, positive and negative effects. Complete what happens when the top predator is removed.

Explanation / Answer

According to the given informations we have estimated that the otters are lived in the sea and they are the aquatic creatures. usually they hunt and eat the sea urchins.otters are the voraciuos consumers of the sea urchins and greatly depends upon them for the food supply. we can sea that the urchins are less in number as compared with the otters. so otters eat sea urchins.

The consumptions by the otters in the sea have the direct as well as indirect influence on the kelp forest. according to the given informations we have estimated this that the otters are consuming the urchins as their food and due to which the number of the urchins are greater than the number of the sea urchins. this made the populations of the urchins very low. since the urchins consume the kelp but due to decreament in the number of the urchins the populations of the kelp forest increases.

As the effect is take place due to the consumptions of the urchins by the otters this means that the otters are not have the direct influence on the growth of the kelp forest. otters are just consuming and reducing the urchins and which further help it to grow the kelp forest. thus we can say it as it is an indirect effect.

Since the number of the kelp forest is increasing and the main object with this regards and respect is the effect on the growth structures of the kelp forest. and by the virtue of the otters the populations of the kelp is increases. wether it direct or indirect thats not a matter here but the overall result is the increament in the populations and density of the kelp and thus we can say this that it is a positive effect.

As we know that the otters have the great effect in the growth of the kelp but due to the over hunting of the otters. the number of the urchins again increased. due to this the urchins eat more and more kelp and thus make the reductions in the populations of the kelp. thus overhunting disturbed the ecological cycle and the ecosystem get disturbed. this will make the kelp forest to dissapear if the otters are near to extinct.

In the absence or you can say in the extinctions of the otters the diet of the gull shifeted from mainly fish to mainly invertebrates. this means that the ecosystem get imbalance and thus the consumtions of the food by the gull is also changed. this also made the variations and the influence on the food chain of this ecosystem. now the gull is consuming 90% invertebrates and 5% fish which is not a good ecosystem cycle mainatainace.

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