The Energetic Hypothesis and Dynamic Stability Hypothesis are Ideas That

Question

The energetic hypothesis and dynamic stability hypothesis are ideas that attempt to explain
A) plant defenses against herbivores.
B) the length of food chains.
C) the evolution of mutualism.
D) resource partitioning.
E) competitive exclusion.

Accepted Answer

The energetic hypothesis and dynamic stability hypothesis both attempt to explain the length of food chains in ecosystems. The energetic hypothesis suggests that the length of food chains is limited by the amount of energy that is lost at each trophic level, while the dynamic stability hypothesis proposes that longer food chains are less stable and more likely to be disrupted by environmental disturbances.