Before You Begin
Question #135690
The Question
Ecologist Paul Ehrlich’s Rivet Popper Hypothesis compares ecosystem stability to an airplane. Suppose an alien species invasion leads to the co-extinction of a nodal primary consumer. Regarding the subsequent impact on ecosystem functioning, which of the following statements is INCORRECT?
Options
- A.
The ecosystem loses its capacity to buffer against environmental stochasticity due to the simplification of food web dynamics.
- B.
Secondary productivity falls exclusively due to the quantitative loss of energy transfer from the primary trophic level.
- C.
The removal of this nodal consumer is analogous to losing a rivet on the airplane's wing, severely threatening ecosystem safety.
- D.
The event triggers a trophic cascading failure, disrupting complex trophic pathways and niche partitioning.
Check Your Answer
Correct Answer
Step-by-Step Solution
Explanation
How the Examiner Thinks
Regulatory_Failure
Understand how NOT, EXCEPT, and logical constraints are used to manipulate exam results.
Concepts Behind This Question
Decomposition Rate Modifiers|Humification vs Mineralization|Nutrient Immobility
Why This Question Is Tricky
Examiner Levers
Negative Thinking
Uses "NOT", "EXCEPT", or "INCORRECT" to flip the logic gate.
Difficulty Boost : +2Common Mistakes
Conceptual Pivot: Students often reduce ecosystem dynamics to simple linear energy flow (the 10% law) and assume secondary productivity drops solely due to 'less food/energy'.
The trap lies in the absolute word 'exclusively'.
In reality, ecosystem stability and secondary productivity are heavily dependent on the complexity of the food web.
Removing a nodal species causes a structural collapse (trophic cascade), which is far more devastating to ecosystem functioning than just the caloric deficit.
Quick Facts About This Question
Question Information
| Subject | Biology |
| Chapter | Ecosystem - Class 12 |
| Concept | Secondary Productivity |
| Difficulty | 5 |
| Cognitive Load | 4 |
| Target Solve Time | 100 sec |
| Access | Free |