Question

select the correct answer.
a river has different populations of lampreys and paddlefish. the paddlefish feed on zooplankton, while the lampreys feed on the paddlefish. humans living around the river hunt the paddlefish. what will happen to the ecosystem if the paddlefish are hunted in excess?
a. the population of lamprey will decrease, while the population of paddlefish will increase
b. the population of paddlefish will decrease, while the population of zooplankton will increase
c. the population of paddlefish will increase, while the population of zooplankton will decrease
d. the population of lamprey will increase, while the population of zooplankton will decrease

Explanation:

First, identify the food chain: Zooplankton → Paddlefish → Lamprey. Excessive hunting of paddlefish directly reduces their population. With fewer paddlefish preying on them, zooplankton populations will increase. Lampreys, which rely on paddlefish as food, will have less prey, so their population would decrease, which aligns with option B.

Answer:

B. The population of paddlefish will decrease, while the population of zooplankton will increase