Question

If every primary and secondary consumer suddenly disappeared from the earth, which of these effects would the autotrophs left on the planet experience?

a) Reduced reactants for making food.
b) Less competition for sunlight.
c) Greatly increased amounts of CO2 in the atmosphere.
d) Increased reactants for making food.

Answer 1

If primary and secondary consumers disappeared, autotrophs would experience reduced reactants for making food due to decreased availability of nutrients and energy.

Step-by-step explanation:

If every primary and secondary consumer suddenly disappeared from the earth, the autotrophs left on the planet would experience reduced reactants for making food. This is because autotrophs, such as plants, rely on the energy from sunlight and nutrients from consumers to produce their own food through photosynthesis. Without primary and secondary consumers, there would be a decrease in the availability of nutrients and energy for autotrophs to carry out photosynthesis and produce food.

Additionally, the absence of consumers would also eliminate the recycling of nutrients. Consumers play a vital role in returning nutrients back to the environment through waste and decomposition. This nutrient recycling is essential for plants to obtain the necessary elements for growth and survival.