Question

The below picture shows the food web of the American prairie. What could happen if all of the prairie dogs died? Provide a detailed account of the consequences of this happening - cover every aspect of the ecosystem affected (producers and consumers affected).

Answer 1

Dogs shown in this picture belongs to the secondary consumer trophic level which consumes primary consumer herbivores. These primary consumer herbivores are dependent on grass for food which is a primary producer. If all dogs die, the population of primary consumer herbivores will increase. This increase will lead to decrease in grass at a drastic rate. Therefore, primary producers (grass) will be affected.