Question

Part A
Multiple Choice Question
The following food web shows the relationships in an ecosystem.

In this ecosystem, trees are being cut down for lumber. Based on the food web, which of the following populations could be affected by fewer trees in the ecosystem?
A.
The shrub population would decrease because deer would be eating more shrubs.
B.
The fungi population would increase because there would be more hawks.
C.
The mountain lion population would increase because there would be more deer.
D.
The deer population would increase because they have more sources of food.
Part B
Multiple Select Question
Using the food web from Part A, which of the following solutions would help restore the natural balance of the ecosystem which was disrupted by the cutting of trees for lumber?
A.
Introduce another predator into the area.
B.
Plant other trees for the deer and the squirrel.
C.
Lengthen the deer hunting season from four months to six months.
D.
Plant more shrubs for the deer and rabbits to eat.

Answers

GPT-4o mini
### Part A
Based on the food web and the scenario of trees being cut down for lumber, the correct answer is:

**A. The shrub population would decrease because deer would be eating more shrubs.**

Explanation: With fewer trees, deer may have less cover and fewer food sources (if the trees serve as a food source), which could lead them to consume more shrubs. Thus, the shrub population could decrease due to increased browsing by deer.

### Part B
To help restore the natural balance of the ecosystem disrupted by tree cutting, the following solutions would be effective:

**B. Plant other trees for the deer and the squirrel.**
**D. Plant more shrubs for the deer and rabbits to eat.**

Explanation: Planting more trees and shrubs can help restore the habitat and food sources that were lost due to deforestation, benefiting various populations in the ecosystem.

While introducing another predator (A) may disturb the balance further, and lengthening the deer hunting season (C) might not effectively restore the ecosystem, the focus should be on plant life to support herbivore populations.