Science (086) — AI-generated practice question

(i) Trophic level above: The organisms at the level immediately above would face a shortage of food, causing their population to decline or starve. For example, if all grasshoppers (primary consumers) are removed, frogs (secondary consumers) would have no food and their numbers would fall sharply.

(ii) Trophic level below: The organisms at the level immediately below would increase in population due to reduced predation. In the same example, removing grasshoppers would cause grass (producers) to grow unchecked, disturbing the ecosystem balance.

• Examiners expect both consequences clearly distinguished — starvation above, population boom below.
• A specific, named example (grasshopper, frog, grass) is required for full marks; a general statement alone will lose a mark.
• Keep terminology correct: use "trophic level," "food chain," "producers/consumers."
• The answer maps to the interdependence of ecosystem components (Chapter 13).