Question

Design an imaginary food web or describe a real one. Include at least 4 living organisms that interact in your ecosystem.

Answer the following questions about the food web you designed/described:

1. Explain what would happen to the other members of the food web within your ecosystem if a top predator were removed
2. Explain possible effects to the abiotic components that result from the disruption of your ecosystem.
3. How can the damage or change to your ecosystem be repaired?

Answer 1

The imaginary food web I would like to design is of 6 organisms together working for an ecosystem. The grass is eaten by insect which is eaten by frog which is eaten by a snake which is eaten by a vulture and finally which is consumed by the humans.

1. Explain what would happen to the other members of the food web within your ecosystem if a top predator were removed

The whole ecosystem would be disturbed if the top predator would be removed. For example, if the humans were to be removed from this food web, it would make the count/population of the vultures to increase obviously. Thus, the more the vultures they more they would try to find the snakes to eat. The same snakes are not in that much amount and thus all the vultures would die because of lack of food affecting the whole food cycle.

2. Explain possible effects to the abiotic components that result from the disruption of your ecosystem.

The abiotic components like water would deplete and be affected if the count of humans would decrease. Waterlevel would rise and nobody would consume the water as per the humans are. This would abrupt the sea and freshwater levels of the ecosystem.

How can the damage or change to your ecosystem be repaired?

The damage or change could be repaired by having the number of species of other members to be increased as well to make a perfect ratio. For example now if the humans are gone, vultures would feed on snakes and thus more snakes are required which would ask for more frogs and like that more insects and also more grass in the ecosystem to maintain and repair the balance.