Question

Many community ecologists are concerned about the effects of habitat fragmentation. In particular they worry that clear-cutting of old growth forests will produce small, isolated forest patches and that species will be lost from these smaller patches because small patches cannot support as long a food chain as bigger patches. This concern is based on which of the following hypotheses discussed in this chapter?
a. The productivity hypothesis
b. The ecosystem-size hypothesis
c. The exploitation ecosystem hypothesis
d. HSS's the 'world is green' hypothesis

Answer 1

Answer:

b. The ecosystem-size hypothesis

Explanation:

In this chapter, the ecosystem-size hypothesis is discussed. The ecosystem-size hypothesis is based on the relationship between ecosystem size and diversity of species, habitat availability and habitat heterogeneity. There will be increase occur in the food-chain length if the size of the ecosystem increases. The big size of ecosystem provides more space for living, more food to animals and other basic needs which the organisms needed for survival and growth.