Question

What happens to an ecosystem when the primary consumers disappear would it be both the producer and secondary consumer population increase or both the producer and secondary consumer population, decrease or the producer population decreases while the secondary consumer population increases the producer population, increases the secondary consumer population decreases

Answer 1

If the primary consumers were to disappear from an ecosystem, such as herbivores or insects that consume plants, it would likely result in a decrease in the population of secondary consumers that rely on those primary consumers for food. This is because there would be less food available at the lower trophic levels for the secondary consumers to consume.

As a result, the producer population, such as plants, may initially increase due to less consumption by primary consumers. However, without the regulation of herbivores, the plant population could eventually become overabundant and potentially lead to a decrease in overall biodiversity and health of the ecosystem.

Therefore, the most likely outcome would be a decrease in both the producer and secondary consumer populations, as the ecosystem becomes imbalanced without the presence of primary consumers.