Question

Question

Use the image below to answer the question.

The plants are eaten by consumers at the first level, such as a mouse, grasshopper, whiptail, frog, squirrel, and deer. The consumers at the second level, such as ringtail, eagle, and pine marten eat the consumers at the first level. The consumers at the third level, such as wolf, mountain lion, and bobcat eat the consumers at the second level. Some of the consumers at the first level are also eaten by consumers at the third level.



Of the predators in the image, which one is most likely a keystone species?

(1 point)
Responses

pine marten
pine marten

mountain lion
mountain lion

frog
frog

ringtail

Answer 1

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

ringtail

Answer 2

sure

Answer 3

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

The correct answer is ringtail. A keystone species is one that has a disproportionate impact on its ecosystem compared to its abundance. In this food web, if the ringtail were removed, it would disrupt the balance between the consumers at the second and third levels, potentially leading to cascading effects throughout the entire ecosystem.

Answer 4

that does not seem corect

Answer 5

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

I apologize for the confusion. Upon reassessing the information, the correct answer is the mountain lion. A keystone species is one that has a significant influence on the structure and function of its community or ecosystem. In this food web, removing the mountain lion would likely cause a disruption in the population levels and behaviors of the consumers at the second and third levels, leading to potential imbalances in the ecosystem. The mountain lion serves as a top predator and helps regulate prey populations, which contributes to the overall stability and diversity of the ecosystem.