A lake experienced an algae bloom that killed reduced oxygen levels in the water. This impacted the nutrient source for aquatic plant life. How is this most likely to affect the population of ducks?

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The scenario describes an algae bloom that reduces dissolved oxygen in the lake water and disrupts the nutrient base for aquatic plants. This creates a cascade of effects on the food web that ducks depend on for foraging.

First, algae blooms often lead to eutrophication, where excessive nutrients fuel rapid algal growth. When the algae die and decompose, microbial respiration consumes a lot of the available oxygen, causing hypoxic conditions that stress or kill aquatic plants and other organisms.

Second, with the diminished plant life, the availability of vegetation that ducks commonly forage on declines. Ducks rely on aquatic plants for grazing, seed material, and habitat structure; a shortage directly reduces feeding opportunities.

Third, the overall health of the ecosystem worsens under low oxygen and reduced plant productivity. Fewer plants mean less shelter and fewer invertebrates that many duck species consume indirectly, compounding the negative effect on duck populations.

In light of these connections, the statement 'The duck population will likely decrease due to a lack of plants to forage' aligns with ecological cause-and-effect: degraded water quality and plant loss translate into reduced food resources for ducks.

While other hypothetical choices might mention changes in predators, water quality, or alternative food sources, the core impact here is the diminished plant-based forage resulting from the algal bloom and oxygen depletion, which directly threatens duck foraging success and population viability.

SCI-BIO B Ecology Module Exam

A lake experienced an algae bloom that killed reduced oxygen levels in the water. This impacted the nutrient source for aquatic plant life. How is this most likely to affect the population of ducks?

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