Plants → Deer → Lion
In the given food chain, what will be the impact of removing all the organisms of second trophic level on the first and third trophic level? Will the impact be the same for the organisms of the third trophic level in the above food chain if they were present in a food web? Justify.
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-15 06:44 · grounding rag
Model Answer
Impact on First Trophic Level (Plants):
If all deer (second trophic level) are removed, plants will no longer be eaten by deer. Their population will increase rapidly and overgrow, disturbing the ecosystem balance.
Impact on Third Trophic Level (Lion):
Lions will lose their food source (deer) and will starve, causing their population to decline and eventually die out.
In a Food Web:
No, the impact will not be the same. In a food web, lions have alternative prey available from other food chains. So lions can survive even without deer, making the ecosystem more stable and resilient.
Explanation
- Examiners expect three distinct points: effect on T1, effect on T3 in a food chain, and the contrasting effect in a food web.
- The key concept is that a food web provides alternative pathways, so organisms at higher trophic levels are less vulnerable compared to a simple food chain.
- Use terms like "trophic level," "food web," and "alternative prey" for full marks.
- Source: Chapter 13, Section 13.1.1 (Food Chains and Webs)