Question

the great lakes ecosystem in the u. s. contains various types of habitats: aquatic, forest, marsh, wetland, and dune communities. these communities allow for more than 3,500 species of plants and animals to inhabit the lakes basin. the many varieties of mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and fish make the great lakes basin a unique and complicated ecosystem. the picture above shows one complex food web you might find within the great lakes. students in biology class used a computer simulation to determine what factors effect the stability of a food web as well as the biodiversity of the area. their research question was: how does food web complexity affect the biodiversity of an ecosystem? student groups were able to manipulate one variable in the food web. one student group greatly increased the number of sea lampreys in their simulation. sea lampreys are not native to the great lakes, but rather the atlantic ocean. sea lampreys entered the great lakes system in the 1800s through manmade locks and shipping canals. they are aggressive predators that have a strong advantage over their native fish prey. answer the research question and hypothesize about the results of the addition of this invasive species.

Answer 1

Food web complexity affects the biodiversity of an ecosystem. The addition of sea lampreys to the great lakes ecosystem would likely have a negative impact on biodiversity.

Step-by-step explanation:

In an ecosystem, food web complexity plays a crucial role in determining biodiversity. A more complex food web with a greater number of interconnected species tends to support higher biodiversity. This is because a complex food web provides more niches and resources for different organisms, allowing a wider range of species to coexist and thrive.

In the case of the great lakes ecosystem, the addition of sea lampreys, an invasive species that heavily preys on native fish, would likely have a negative impact on biodiversity. The increased abundance of sea lampreys would disrupt the natural balance of the food web, leading to a decline in native fish populations and potentially causing a cascade of negative effects on other species within the ecosystem.