2020 AP Bio Question 41 - Density-Independent Population Factors

Detailed step-by-step solution for the 2020 AP Biology Question 41 focusing on Density-Independent Population Factors. We analyze how environmental stressors like nutrient pollution and algal blooms impact sea otter populations regardless of their density. Sea otters are native to the western coast of North America. Between 1750 and 1850, hunting had reduced the population from hundreds of thousands to only one thousand individuals. In the early 1900s, a small population of sea otters was discovered in Elkhorn Slough, an estuary in central California near a large human population center. The otters were then protected by the international fur seal treaty, which banned sea otter hunting. The sea otter population has rebounded to nearly three thousand individuals today. Otters live in kelp forests and eelgrass beds and feed on crabs and shellfish. Most herbivores in the habitat eat algae that grows on the eelgrass and not the eelgrass itself. If there is too much algae, the eelgrass does not receive enough light for photosynthesis. As the otter population has increased, the eelgrass habitat has increased. Recently, however, scientists have noticed the presence of two nonnative, predatory invertebrate species that may be colonizing the Elkhorn Slough, which would have been too cold for them three decades ago. Scientists have also observed that otters in the area are experiencing increased mortality because of an increase in harmful algal blooms, which occur as a result of nutrient pollution. The harmful algae are ingested by shellfish, which the otters eat. Want more AP practice? Visit our website: https://mysovi.ai/ --- Sovi AI - Your AI Math & AP Exam Tutor Download the app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sovi-ai... Visit our website: https://mysovi.ai/ #APExam #APStudy #SoviAI #AITutor #APExamPrep #StudyWithAI