Q10. You are studying the effect of a new pollutant on an ecological community i
ID: 803300 • Letter: Q
Question
Q10. You are studying the effect of a new pollutant on an ecological community in a lake that has three mysterious species. You sample the concentration of the pollutant in each species for 4 years after the pollutant first appeared. The graph below displays your data.
Which option below most likely describes the nature of the pollutant and the trophic levels of each of the three mysterious species?
a-The pollutant is bioaccumulating in the community. Species B is a producer, Species A is a primary consumer, and Species C is a predator.
b-The pollutant is bioaccumulating in the community. Species C is a producer, Species B is a primary consumer, and Species A is a predator.
c-The pollutant is causing eutrophication of the lake. Species A is a producer, Species B is a primary consumer, and Species C is a predator.
Explanation / Answer
Answer: B is right
Explanation: This is due to a process called bioamplification, whereby the pollutants start accumulating in the community. Thus the primary producers which gets small quantity of toxics is eaten by primary consumer which in turn is eaten by predator species. Since the primary consumers and predators feed on primary producers, the toxins keep on accumulating and thus it is observed that the level of toxics keep on increasing with species higher up in food chain showing highest concentration.
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