Practicing Success

Target Exam

CUET

Subject

Biology

Chapter

Organisms and Populations

Question:

Select an INCORRECT statement regarding to the prey and predators:

Options:

Predators also help in maintaining species diversity in a community.

Prey species could achieve very high population densities and cause ecosystem instability.

Prey are prudent in nature.

Prey species have evolved various defenses to lessen the impact of predation.

Correct Answer:

Prey are prudent in nature.

Explanation:

Besides acting as ‘conduits’ for energy transfer across trophic levels, predators play other important roles. They keep prey populations under control. But for predators, prey species could achieve very high population densities and cause ecosystem instability.

If a predator is too efficient and overexploits its prey, then the prey might become extinct and following it, the predator will also become extinct for lack of food. This is the reason why predators in nature are ‘prudent’. Prey species have evolved various defenses to lessen the impact of predation. Some species of insects and frogs are cryptically-coloured (camouflaged) to avoid being detected easily by the predator. Some are poisonous and therefore avoided by the predator