Question 4 • EF Environmental Science 1st Nine Weeks
Consider the following food chain: Plants are eaten by grasshoppers, which are eaten by mice, which are eaten by snakes. What is likely to happen if a new organism that feeds off mice is introduced?
Answer
A
The mice population will increase in response to the arrival of the new organism.
B
The mice population, grasshopper population, and plant population will all increase.
C
The new organism will compete with the snake population for resources.
D
The populations of the existing organisms will remain unaffected.
Explanation
The new organism and snakes would both feed on mice, so they would compete for the same food resource. Therefore, the best answer is “The new organism will compete with the snake population for resources.” The mice population would be more likely to decrease, not increase, because it has an additional predator.
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