Final answer:
Birds of prey are most affected by biomagnification because they are higher up in the trophic level and consume many smaller animals, leading to the accumulation of higher levels of toxins.
Step-by-step explanation:
The group most affected by biomagnification is D) Birds of prey. Biomagnification refers to the increasing concentration of persistent, toxic substances in organisms at each successive trophic level. This process especially affects apex predators such as birds of prey because they consume many smaller animals and thus accumulate higher levels of toxins over time. For example, the pesticide DDT, once widely used, was shown to harm bird species at the top of food chains by causing the birds' eggshells to become fragile, leading to breakage during nesting and subsequent population declines. Taking into account food webs and ecosystem dynamics, biomagnification can result in severe consequences for larger carnivorous animals that are higher up in the food chain. Therefore, if you are concerned about biomagnification of toxins, such as mercury, you would want to avoid eating large predatory species like swordfish, which are known to accumulate higher amounts of these substances compared to smaller, less predatory fish such as anchovies.