You continue your experiments by taking one of the trees in the canopy and removing all of the ants. If the ants and aphids are in a mutualistic relationship that strongly benefits them both, you expect the aphid population will _____ in response to the lack of ants.
A)increase in size
B)stay the same size
C)decrease in size
D)change species composition
E)change in demographics (age distribution)

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

If the ants and aphids have a mutualistic relationship, the absence of ants would lead to an increase in predators (aphid-eating insects) that are not deterred by ant presence, leading to a decrease in the aphid population.

You Continue Your Experiments by Taking One of the Trees