When a population in a trophic web is affected by any factor that reduces or increases its population size, the anterior and posterior links in the trophic chain are affected as well. Option A is correct. increase in number of shrews, decrease in number of hawks.
The trophic web is the interaction between different organisms involving transference of energy when some of them feed on the other ones. The ones placed at lower levels pass energy to the ones at the higher levels.
Organisms at each level feed on the preceding one and become food for the next one.
Because it is a web, all organisms are in equilibrium until a change occurs. When a sudden change affects any of the involved links, there can be a cascade effect on the web.
Any change in a link population size (increasing or decreasing) will affect the superior links and the immediately anterior link.
In the exposed example, if snake's population was to suddenly decrease, there would be
Snakes feed on shrews, so a decrease in the number of snakes will allow the shrew's survival and reproductive rate to increase, and hence, to increase their population size.
Hawks feed on snakes and shrews. A decrease in the number of snakes means less available food items for them and more competition. Their population size might be reduced even if the shrew's population increases in size.
Option A is correct. increase in number of shrews, decrease in number of hawks.
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