Question

9/19 ( ecology, food webs, & spheres quiz)
frogs eat flies, snakes eat frogs, and hawks eat snakes. what would happen to the frogs if the hawk population suddenly decreased?
the frog population would decrease.
the frog population would increase
the frog population would stay the same
the frog population would increase at first, then decrease as hawk populations recovered

Explanation:

Hawks predate on snakes. When hawk population decreases, snake population would initially increase due to less predation pressure. Since snakes eat frogs, more snakes would mean more predation on frogs, but first, with fewer hawks, the snake - frog - food - web balance is disrupted and the frog population would increase as there are fewer snakes being supported by the hawk - controlled population. Eventually, as hawk populations recover, they would start preying on snakes again, and the snake population would decrease, leading to a decrease in frog predation and potentially a decrease in the frog population.

Answer:

The frog population would increase at first, then decrease as hawk populations recovered.