Question

La Niña is characterized by cold ocean temperatures resulting in an accumulation of cold water in the central and eastern Pacific oceans. After it subsides, there is a change in weather patterns and a disruption of ecosystems due to the unusually cold temperatures that last about six to eight months. What would happen within an ecosystem as a result of La Niña?


a change in predator-prey relationships as some prey species become predators


the adaptation of organisms to the new climate by the mutation of genes


the extinction of species and the evolution of other species to dominate the ecosystem


the reduction of some populations in affected areas and the temporary increase in others

Answers

GPT-4o mini
The most likely outcome within an ecosystem as a result of La Niña is:

**the reduction of some populations in affected areas and the temporary increase in others.**

La Niña can lead to changes in weather patterns, including increased rainfall in some regions and droughts in others. These changes can affect food availability, habitat conditions, and resource competition, leading to reductions in certain species populations while allowing others that are more adapted to the altered conditions to thrive temporarily. This dynamic can influence predator-prey relationships and ecosystem balance, but the immediate and observable effects are typically characterized by population fluctuations rather than direct adaptations, extinctions, or evolution within the timeframe of La Niña's influence.