if a large pod of orca whales moved into an area and began to hunt the local sea otter population, what would you expect to happen to the density of the kelp forest?

Question

1)it would increase
2)it would decrease

Answer 1

The correct answer is 1) it would increase.

Here's the reasoning:

Sea otters are a key predator of sea urchins, which are herbivores that graze on kelp. If a large pod of orca whales moves into the area and begins to hunt the local sea otter population, it is likely that the number of sea otters would decrease significantly.

With fewer sea otters to keep their population in check, the number of sea urchins would increase. As the sea urchin population grows, they would overgraze on the kelp, leading to a decline in the kelp forest density.

Thus, the initial assumption might lead to the misconception that the kelp density would increase with fewer otters; however, because sea otters are crucial in controlling sea urchin populations, the correct interpretation is that as sea otters decline, sea urchin populations would rise, which would ultimately result in a decrease in kelp forest density.

So, directly answering your question, the expected outcome for the kelp forest density would be a decrease, not an increase. Therefore, the answer should be 2) it would decrease.