Question

In this ecosystem, trees are being cut down for lumber. Based on the food web, which of the following populations could be affected by fewer trees in the ecosystem?

A.
The shrub population would decrease because deer would be eating more shrubs.
B.
The fungi population would increase because there would be more hawks.
C.
The mountain lion population would increase because there would be more deer.
D.
The deer population would increase because they have more sources of food.

Answer 1

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

A.

The shrub population would decrease because deer would be eating more shrubs.

Fewer trees would result in less shelter and food for the shrubs, leading to increased browsing by deer and a decrease in the shrub population.