uiz Instructions Question 14 1 pts In the Aleutian Islands, sea otters are keyst
ID: 275398 • Letter: U
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uiz Instructions Question 14 1 pts In the Aleutian Islands, sea otters are keystone species because they keep the populations of sea urchins small. When sea urchin populations are large, they eat most of the kelp, and this allows microscopic algae become abundant. Many other species, such as eider ducks and blue rockfish, can no longer survive there. Suppose sea otters have been removed from an Aleutian Island. Which of these strategies is the most likely to be the effective in restoring the kelp communities for the long term? O Re-introduce sea otters O Plant many more kelp O Hire divers to scrub the algae from the rocks Allow humans to hunt sea otters O Release many blue rockfish Next PreviousExplanation / Answer
Q) Which strategy is the most likely effective in restoring the kelp communities for the long term?
Answer- A - Re-introduce sea otters.
Explanation-
Kelps are the community under sea which are the primary producers, kelp forest gives food and shelter to many species. Kelp is eaten by sea urchins, and sea urchins are eaten by sea otters, which are the key stone species. When sea otters are removed from a particular area than the population of sea urchins increase and they start eating the kelp, as a result it affects the destruction of sea kelp forest.
It indirectly affects many species like Snails, prawns, brittle-stars as they feed on the holdfasts which keep kelps attached to the bottom of the ocean and the algae which are abundant in kelp forests. Sea urchins at times completely remove the kelp plants by eating their holdfasts. Other animals like black-rockfish, blue-rockfish, olive-rockfish, and kelp-rockfish are also found in kelp forests. Big fishes also come to kelp forest for their food, fishermen also depend on kelp forest for commercial purpose by catching fish.
So when sea urchin destroys the kelp an entire ecosystem is destroyed, by Re-introducing the sea otters kelp community can be restored for the long term, because they are the controllers of sea urchins, they keep the sea-urchin population under control by eating them.
Other efforts like planting many kelps, hiring divers to scrub algae from rocks, releasing many blue rock fish will not help in restoring kelp, also by allowing humans to hunt sea otters is a bad idea, as it will only destroy more the keystone species, of Aleutian island the sea otters more. And will not help in maintaining the kelp forest. There are two types of sea otters Northern and southern sea-otters , in Aleutian islands Northern sea otters are found.
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