In a salt marsh habitat, snails feed on marsh grasses, and blue crabs feed on snails.A high population of snails can graze the marsh so intensely that it becomes a mudflat.When blue crabs are present, the levels of all three species remain balanced and the marsh is healthy.What change in the salt marsh would be expected if blue crabs were removed?
A) No change, except the marsh would have one less predator
B) A trophic cascade leading to the marsh becoming a mudflat
C) A corresponding decrease in snails and marsh grasses
D) Immigration of another predator to replace blue crabs
E) An increase in marsh grasses and a decrease in snails

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Without blue crabs to control the snail population, the snails will graze the marsh grasses so intensely that it becomes a mudflat. This is known as a trophic cascade, where the removal of a top predator has ripple effects throughout the food chain.

In a Salt Marsh Habitat, Snails Feed on Marsh Grasses