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In an area where DDT had been used extensively, the population of birds declined significantly because:

  1. A
    snakes were feeding exclusively on birds.
  2. B
    many of birds eggs laid, did not hatch.
  3. C
    birds stopped laying eggs.
  4. D
    earthworms in the area got eradicated.

Solution & Step-by-step Explanation

Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) undergoes biomagnification across trophic levels in an ecosystem. In fish-eating or predatory birds, high concentrations of accumulated DDT interfere with calcium metabolism. This causes significant thinning of eggshells, leading to premature breaking of the eggs before development is complete, meaning many eggs fail to hatch. This drastically reduces the bird population.

Practice this question

Try it yourself before checking the explanation above.

In an area where DDT had been used extensively, the population of birds declined significantly because:
A
snakes were feeding exclusively on birds.
B
many of birds eggs laid, did not hatch.
C
birds stopped laying eggs.
D
earthworms in the area got eradicated.

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BiomagnificationPesticidesEcosystem

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