What occurs during the process of 'biological magnification' (biomagnification)?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: Toxins increase in concentration in the tissues of organisms at higher trophic levels.
Biomagnification happens when persistent chemicals, like mercury or DDT, are not metabolized and become more concentrated as they are passed from prey to predator. This often leads to toxic levels in top-tier predators.
Keep practicing
More Ecosystems questions
- Which type of ecological succession occurs on a surface where no soil previously existed, such as a new volcanic island?
- The relationship between a remora fish and a shark, where the remora gets a free ride and scraps of food while the shark is unaffected, is…
- Which ecosystem has the highest Net Primary Productivity (NPP) per square meter?
- What is the term for a species that has a disproportionately large effect on its natural environment relative to its abundance?
- In the carbon cycle, which process removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere?
- What describes the 'niche' of an organism within an ecosystem?