Final answer:
Altering the number of organisms in one trophic level, like primary consumers or snakes, can significantly impact an ecosystem, leading to a domino effect of population changes across different levels, ultimately affecting the balance and health of the ecosystem.
Step-by-step explanation:
Effects on Ecosystems with Altered Organism Numbers
Ecological pyramids depict the relationship between different trophic levels in an ecosystem. In response to the questions posed, the effects of such changes can be substantial:
- A. Effect of Reduced Primary Consumers: If an infection reduced the number of primary consumers to 100,000, the populations at higher trophic levels, such as secondary consumers and tertiary consumers (like snakes and hawks), would dwindle due to lack of food. This scarcity would echo up the pyramid, potentially leading to starvation and decreased reproduction rates among predators.
- B. Effect of Human Hunting on Snakes: Aggressive hunting and elimination of snakes would destabilize the ecosystem, possibly leading to an overpopulation of their prey (like rodents), which could then lead to overconsumption of plants and a subsequent decrease in plant biodiversity. Predatory birds that also feed on snakes may find themselves with less competition, potentially disrupting the delicate balance of the food web.
Both scenarios underline the importance of each species in maintaining ecosystem balance. Removing or reducing one group's population has a cascading effect that can change the overall structure and function of the ecosystem.