Question

Examine the energy pyramid below. If a disease strikes the snake population in this food chain, what will be the initial effect on the populations of hawks and rabbits?

A
The populations of hawks and rabbits will increase.

B
The populations of hawks and rabbits will decrease.

C
The population of hawks will increase. The population of rabbits will decrease.

D
The population of hawks will decrease. The population of rabbits will increase.

Answer 1

D.

Step-by-step explanation:

There will be no predators for the rabbits, and there will be no food for the hawks

Answer 2

The correct answer is D. The population of hawks will decrease. The population of rabbits will increase.

Step-by-step explanation:

In an energy pyramid or food chain, organisms depend on others; for example, in this case, snakes depend on rabbits, and hawks depend on snakes to obtain nutrients.

In this way, if a disease strikes snakes there would be fewer snakes; this will cause the population of rabbits to increase because more rabbits will survive and reproduce if there are few predators. On the other hand, the population of hawks will decrease because without snakes there will not be enough food for hawks, and this leads to fewer hawks. Thus, in this case, it is expected "The population of hawks will decrease. The population of rabbits will increase".