To identify which ecosystem is the most diverse, we examine the number of species in each ecosystem. The ecosystem with the highest number of species is considered the most diverse.
From the table:
- Ecosystem 1 has 62 species.
- Ecosystem 2 has 32 species.
- Ecosystem 3 has 104 species.
- Ecosystem 4 has 8 species.
Among these, Ecosystem 3 has the highest number of species, with 104 species. Therefore, Ecosystem 3 is the most diverse.
Next, let’s analyze the situation in the second ecosystem. Initially, it has:
- 4 species of producers
- 8 species of primary consumers
- 10 species of secondary consumers
- 10 species of tertiary consumers
The problem states that the number of species of primary consumers increases from 8 to 20. This significant increase in the number of primary consumers can lead to more competition among secondary consumers for food, as primary consumers are their main food source.
Thus, the statement should be read as:
Among the four ecosystems, Ecosystem 3 is the most diverse. In the second ecosystem, there are 4 species of producers, 8 primary consumers, 10 secondary consumers, and 10 tertiary consumers. If the number of species of primary consumers in the second ecosystem increases to 20, there will be more competition among secondary consumers.
