AI-generated practice question — model-generated for extra practice, not a previous-year CBSE board question.
No, this adaptive behaviour cannot be explained using a single food chain. A food chain shows a fixed, linear sequence (e.g., grass → rabbit → fox), with no alternative links. A food web, however, shows that "each organism is generally eaten by two or more other kinds of organisms," forming branching relationships. This allows foxes to switch prey (voles, birds) when rabbits decline, which is only visible in a food web.
The key contrast examiners want is linear (food chain) vs. branching (food web). Use the textbook's own language: "series of branching lines." The scenario tests whether you understand that a food web captures real flexibility in feeding — organisms have multiple prey/predator options. Mention the definition of food chain (fixed trophic levels) and why it fails here (no alternate prey shown). Keep it concise.