In a grassland ecosystem, scientists manipulate the nutrient levels in the soil. They observe that increasing soil nutrients leads to a significant increase in the abundance of grass species. This, in turn, supports a larger population of herbivores, which subsequently attracts more predators. What type of control is described in this scenario and why?  Group of answer choices Bottom-up control: Increased nutrient levels enhance primary production, which supports higher herbivore and predator populations Bottom-up control: Increased predator populations reduce herbivore numbers, which leads to a decrease in primary production Top-down control: Predator abundance directly affects primary production by influencing herbivore populations Top-down control: Herbivores increase due to higher grass abundance, which in turn affects predator populations

Biology: The Dynamic Science (MindTap Course List)
4th Edition
ISBN:9781305389892
Author:Peter J. Russell, Paul E. Hertz, Beverly McMillan
Publisher:Peter J. Russell, Paul E. Hertz, Beverly McMillan
Chapter53: Population Interactions And Community Ecology
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In a grassland ecosystem, scientists manipulate the nutrient levels in the soil. They observe that increasing soil nutrients leads to a significant increase in the abundance of grass species. This, in turn, supports a larger population of herbivores, which subsequently attracts more predators.

What type of control is described in this scenario and why? 

Group of answer choices
Bottom-up control: Increased nutrient levels enhance primary production, which supports higher herbivore and predator populations
Bottom-up control: Increased predator populations reduce herbivore numbers, which leads to a decrease in primary production
Top-down control: Predator abundance directly affects primary production by influencing herbivore populations
Top-down control: Herbivores increase due to higher grass abundance, which in turn affects predator populations
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