1. a. They cause it to decrease, preventing destruction of the kelp population.
2. c. They are active predators that help maintain diversity by affecting the sea urchin and kelp populations.
3. b. The amount of kelp would decrease.
4. b. The kelp population would increase because fewer sea urchins would be present to consume it.
5. d. There would be a decrease in kelp.
According to this video, how do sea otters affect the sea urchin population?
a. They cause it to decrease, preventing destruction of the kelp population.
b. They cause it to increase, preventing destruction of the sea star population.
c. They cause it to increase, resulting in a decrease in the sea star population.
d. They cause it to decrease, resulting in a decrease in the kelp population.
2. Why are otters considered a keystone species?
a. Their removal from the population would have relatively little effect on biodiversity.
b. They are large species that are easily noticed in the population, unlike smaller and cryptic species.
c. They are active predators that help maintain diversity by affecting the sea urchin and kelp populations.
d. They interact very specifically with sea urchins and not with a wide range of other species, making them especially important for sea urchin management.
3. The video also discusses the role of sunflower stars in the community. What do you predict would be the most likely outcome if the sunflower star population increased dramatically?
a. The number of sea otters would drop.
b. The amount of kelp would decrease.
c. The number of sea urchins would drop. Energy flows from microscopic algae to sessile invertebrates to crabs to sea otters.
d. The amount of abalone would increase. Energy flows from kelp to microscopic algae to sea stars to crabs to otters.
4. Based on the information given in the video, how do you predict that a dramatic increase in the sea otter population would affect the kelp population?
a. The kelp population would increase because fewer large fish would be available to consume it.
b. The kelp population would increase because fewer sea urchins would be present to consume it.
c. The kelp population would decrease because more sunflower stars would be available to consume it.
d. The kelp population would decrease because more sea urchins would be present to consume it.
5. The video discussed the effects of the removal of sea otters on the system. What do you predict would be the most likely effect if you removed abalone instead?
a. There would be a decrease in sea otter populations.
b. There would be an increase in sea otter populations.
c. There would be an increase in octopus populations.
d. There would be a decrease in kelp.
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