Question

Which of the following describes how bears and salmon interact to positively impact their ecosystem?

a. Salmon help return nitrogen from oceans to rivers
b. Bears move nitrogen from rivers to land
c. Riparian zones benefit, increasing habitat for prey
d. Riparian zones benefit, improving water quality for spawning
e. All of these

Answer 1

Salmon help return nitrogen from the oceans to the rivers, bears move nitrogen from the rivers to the land, and riparian zones benefit from the presence of salmon and bears.

Step-by-step explanation:

Bears and salmon interact in a way that positively impacts their ecosystem in several ways. First, salmon help return nitrogen from the oceans to the rivers when they migrate upstream to spawn. This nitrogen then becomes available to other organisms in the ecosystem, including bears. Second, bears play a role in moving nitrogen from the rivers to the land through their consumption of salmon. When bears catch and eat salmon, they often bring the fish carcasses onto the land, where they decay and release nitrogen into the soil, benefiting plants and other organisms. Third, riparian zones, the areas along rivers and streams, benefit from the presence of salmon and bears. These zones provide essential habitat for prey species, increasing their population and supporting a more diverse ecosystem. Additionally, the presence of salmon and bears in riparian zones helps improve water quality for spawning, which benefits the salmon population.