Lecture 22

Question 1

Food chains/webs

Answer 1

Show flow of energy. They are usually short due to loss of energy (heat). This is the energy hypothesis which predicts that increase in productivity = increase in chain length. Dynamic stability hypothesis says longer food chainn = reduced stability. Fluctuations at low trophic levels magnify at high levels. Top redators are more likely to go extinct. Reducing food chain. Predicts that stable environments should have longer chains.