Original Project
Interdependence in Ecosystems
Item IE027004: Changes in a population in a food web can affect the populations of both its predator and its prey (no specific organisms identified).
The diagram below shows the feeding relationships between populations of organisms L, M, and N. The arrows point from the organisms being eaten to the organisms that eat them.
Using only the relationships between the organisms shown in the diagram, if most of the Ms are killed, which of the following describes what will happen to the numbers of Ls and Ns?
- The number of Ls will increase, and the number of Ns will decrease.
- The number of Ls will decrease, and the number of Ns will increase.
- The number of Ls will increase, and the number of Ns will stay the same.
- The number of Ls will stay the same, and the number of Ns will decrease.
Answer Choice |
Overall |
Grades |
Gender |
Primary Language |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n = 1405 |
6–8 n = 750 |
9–12 n = 649 |
Male n = 672 |
Female n = 699 |
English n = 1199 |
Other n = 168 |
||
| A. | The number of Ls will increase, and the number of Ns will decrease. | 60% | 55% | 66% | 64% | 56% | 61% | 54% |
| B. | The number of Ls will decrease, and the number of Ns will increase. | 18% | 21% | 15% | 15% | 20% | 17% | 21% |
| C. | The number of Ls will increase, and the number of Ns will stay the same. | 13% | 13% | 12% | 13% | 12% | 12% | 14% |
| D. | The number of Ls will stay the same, and the number of Ns will decrease. | 10% | 12% | 8% | 9% | 11% | 10% | 10% |