In the energy pyramid above, parrot fish are the only primary consumers. If all the parrot fish died due to pollution and overfishing, how would the ecosystem sustainability be affected?

Question

The ecosystem could not be sustained because the flow of energy within the ecosystem would stop as there would be no organisms to transfer energy from the seawood to the sharks.

The ecosystem could be sustained because the energy flow would increase since there would be fewer organisms for the energy to transfer through.

The ecosystem could be sustained because the flow of energy would only decrease until sharks adapted to eating seaweed.

The ecosystem could be sustained because the flow of energy within the ecosystem would continue straight from the seaweed to the shark.

Answer 1

The correct statement regarding the impact of the parrot fish's extinction would be:

The ecosystem could not be sustained because the flow of energy within the ecosystem would stop as there would be no organisms to transfer energy from the seaweed to the sharks.

Parrot fish, as primary consumers, play a critical role in transferring energy from primary producers (like seaweed) to higher trophic levels (like sharks). If parrot fish were to disappear, this energy transfer would be disrupted, leading to potential declines in shark populations and ultimately affecting the entire food web and the overall sustainability of the ecosystem.