The top predators such as hawks in the food chains or food web are most severely affected by pesticides such as DDT becausea.the pesticides become concentrated in their preyb.their systems are sensitive to chemicalsc.they cannot store the pesticides in their tissuesd.of their rapid eating rates
Question
The top predators such as hawks in the food chains or food web are most severely affected by pesticides such as DDT becausea.the pesticides become concentrated in their preyb.their systems are sensitive to chemicalsc.they cannot store the pesticides in their tissuesd.of their rapid eating rates
Solution
The top predators such as hawks in the food chains or food web are most severely affected by pesticides such as DDT primarily because of a process known as biomagnification. This process refers to the accumulation and concentration of substances such as pesticides in an organism at a higher level in a food chain.
Here's a step-by-step explanation:
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Pesticides like DDT are sprayed on crops to protect them from pests. These pesticides are absorbed by the plants.
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Small herbivores like insects consume these plants and the pesticides enter their bodies. These pesticides are not easily broken down or excreted, so they accumulate in the bodies of these small herbivores.
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Larger animals then eat these small herbivores. Since each larger animal eats many smaller ones, the concentration of the pesticide gets magnified at each level of the food chain.
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Finally, top predators like hawks eat these larger animals. Since they are at the top of the food chain, they end up consuming the highest concentration of the pesticide.
So, the correct answer to your question is a. The pesticides become concentrated in their prey. This is not because their systems are particularly sensitive to chemicals, they cannot store the pesticides in their tissues, or because of their rapid eating rates. It's because of the process of biomagnification in the food chain.
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