Question

In the late 1960s, Robert Paine conducted landmark studies on diversity in the rocky intertidal zone, comparing the species diversity in undisturbed control plots with diversity in experimental plots from which he removed the top predator, sea stars. After 5 years, 15 species of intertidal invertebrates lived in the control plots, while the experimental plots were dominated by only two species, one mussel and one barnacle. The sea star is likely:__________.

Answer 1

the questionnaire is incomplete, the options are attached to the graph

correct answer c

Paine's experiment was performed when exrtaer the starfish that was considered a negative predator by feeding on a local mussel, what was expected is that by eliminating the starfish it proliferates but its consequence was that it began to displace other species When the mussels became a predator due to the alteration of the ecosystem, the balance was removed and now the species cannot coexist.