Food Webs Appear to Be Most Controlled by What Process

Question

Food webs appear to be most controlled by what process?
A) Density-dependent selection
B) Bottom-up control
C) Top-down control
D) Metapopulations

Accepted Answer

Top-down control, also known as trophic cascade, suggests that the highest trophic level (usually predators) controls the structure and dynamics of lower trophic levels in a food web. This means that changes in predator populations can have significant effects all the way down to the base of the food web, leading to a chain of indirect effects. Research has shown that top-down control is a crucial process for maintaining ecosystem stability and biodiversity.