Bluegills in a Pond Prefer to Feed on Large Zooplankton

question 150

Multiple Choice

Bluegills in a pond prefer to feed on large zooplankton, such as copepods.The zooplankton in turn feed on algae.The pond has a few bass, which feed on the bluegills.A farmer introduces a large number of additional bass, which decimate the bluegill population.Quickly, algal blooms threaten to overwhelm the pond.The control of algae in this pond is an illustration of a(n)

• A) direct interaction, because it forms a straight line from bass to bluegills to copepods to algae.
• B) direct interaction, because bluegills are directly controlled by bass.
• C) indirect interaction, because no species directly controls any other.
• D) indirect interaction, because algae are indirectly controlled by bass.
• E) indirect interaction, because action by the farmer is required to control all populations.

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Definitions:

Monopolistic Competition

A market structure characterized by many firms selling products that are similar but not identical, allowing for product differentiation and some control over pricing.

Identical Product

A good or service that is exactly the same in quality, function, and design across different sellers, making them perfect substitutes.

Oligopoly

An economic scenario where a handful of companies dominate the market, resulting in minimal competitive activity.

Herfindahl Index

A metric used to assess the level of concentration within a market, achieved by taking the square of each firm's market share and summing these squares.