A researcher measures the amount of mercury (a persistant toxic chemical) in the fish of a lake ecosystem.  The concentration of mercury is 10 times higher in the tertiary consumer fish species compared to the amount in the primary consumer fish species.  A) Explain this result using the term bioaccumulation and biomagnification.   B) If a bear eats mainly the tertiary consumer fish from this lake, how would you expect the mercury concentration in the bear to compare to the fish?

Biology: The Dynamic Science (MindTap Course List)
4th Edition
ISBN:9781305389892
Author:Peter J. Russell, Paul E. Hertz, Beverly McMillan
Publisher:Peter J. Russell, Paul E. Hertz, Beverly McMillan
Chapter54: Ecosystems And Global Change
Section: Chapter Questions
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A researcher measures the amount of mercury (a persistant toxic chemical) in the fish of a lake ecosystem.  The concentration of mercury is 10 times higher in the tertiary consumer fish species compared to the amount in the primary consumer fish species. 

A) Explain this result using the term bioaccumulation and biomagnification.  

B) If a bear eats mainly the tertiary consumer fish from this lake, how would you expect the mercury concentration in the bear to compare to the fish?

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