Asked by paisley

When deer populations are high, they eat many young tree saplings. When deer populations are low, more trees survive and forests become denser. What ecological principle does this demonstrate?
Question 6 options:

Plant communities respond only to climate and weather factors

Only predators can effectively control herbivore population impacts

Herbivores can significantly shape plant community structure and composition

Trees and deer populations are completely independent of each other

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
Herbivores can significantly shape plant community structure and composition.

Explanation: The example shows that deer browsing alters tree survival and forest density, demonstrating top–down effects of herbivores on plant communities. The other choices are incorrect because plant communities respond to more than just climate, predators aren't the only way to control herbivore impacts, and deer and trees are not independent.