A partial Texas food web is shown. The populations of which organisms will
most likely increase as a result of a disease that suddenly reduced the
population of Texas horned lizards. (12C) *

*See attached digaram for the good web being refffered to

Options:

A. Grasses and ants

B. Ants and grasshoppers

C. Grasshoppers and Texas cottonmouths

D. Texas cottonmouths and red-shouldered hawks

B. Ants and grasshoppers

Explanation:

Looking at the partial Texas food web that is given below in the diagram attached, it shows that the Texas horned lizard feeds mainly on ants and grasshopper as a secondary consumer in the food web. As a result of this, the population of ants and grasshoppers would be often put in check and regulated.

However, if a disease suddenly reduces the population of the Texas horned lizard, it means that ants and grasshoppers won't be heavily preyed on anymore, since the population of their major predator has now been reduced.

Therefore, a reduction in the population of Texas horned lizard would result in the increase in the population of ants and grasshoppers.