Food Web
In the food web above, the mountain lion and the hawk are the apex or top predators. Grass, shrubs, and trees are responsible for primary production in this community. Arrows indicate energy flow.
If a disease kills all shrubs and trees in this ecosystem, the populations of herbivore species such as squirrels, rabbits, and deer will likely:
A) Increase due to bottom-up controls
B) Increase due to top-down controls
C) Decrease due to bottom-up controls
D) Decrease due to top-down controls
E) Stay the same; the population of shrubs and trees has no effect on these species.