Background: Apex predators affect prey species' population dynamics and populations of other predators, both in aquatic and in terrestrial ecosystems. Non-native predatory fish, for instance, have sometimes devastated formerly dominant predators. A lake manipulation study found that when the non-native smallmouth bass was removed, lake trout, the suppressed native apex predator, diversified its prey selection and increased its trophic level. As a terrestrial example, the badger, an apex predator, predates on and also competes with the hedgehog, a mesopredator, for food such as insects, small mammals, reptiles, amphibians and ground-nesting bird's eggs. Removal of badgers (in a trial investigating bovine tuberculosis) caused hedgehog densities to more than double. Predators that exert a top-down control on organisms in their community are often considered keystone species. Humans are not considered apex predators because their diets are typically diverse, although human trophic levels increase with consumption of meat.

Situation: Rob is a biologist who is interested in native species conservation. To that end, he conducted two studies, case A and case B. In case A, a non native apex predator C was introduced in formerly apex predator D's habitat. In case B, same non native apex predator C was removed from formerly apex predator D's habitat. He now needs to analyze the results of these studies.

Question: In which case predator D's trophic level would increase, case A or case B?
Answer: case B

Situation: Rob is a biologist who is interested in native species conservation. To that end, he conducted two studies, case A and case B. In case A, a non native apex predator C was introduced in formerly apex predator D's habitat. In case B, same non native apex predator C was removed from formerly apex predator D's habitat. He now needs to analyze the results of these studies.

Question: In which case predator D's trophic level would decrease, case A or case B?
Answer: case A

Situation: Rob is a biologist who is interested in native species conservation. To that end, he conducted two studies, case A and case B. In case A, a non native apex predator C was introduced in formerly apex predator D's habitat. In case B, same non native apex predator C was removed from formerly apex predator D's habitat. He now needs to analyze the results of these studies.

Question: Would predator D's trophic level increase or decrease in case A than in case B?
Answer: decrease

Situation: Rob is a biologist who is interested in native species conservation. To that end, he conducted two studies, case A and case B. In case A, a non native apex predator C was introduced in formerly apex predator D's habitat. In case B, same non native apex predator C was removed from formerly apex predator D's habitat. He now needs to analyze the results of these studies.

Question: Would predator D's trophic level increase or decrease in case B than in case A?
Answer: increase

Situation: Rob is a biologist who is interested in native species conservation. To that end, he conducted two studies, case A and case B. In case A, a non native apex predator C was introduced in formerly apex predator D's habitat. In case B, same non native apex predator C was removed from formerly apex predator D's habitat. He now needs to analyze the results of these studies.

Question: In which case predator D's prey selection would be more diversified, case A or case B?
Answer: case B

Situation: Rob is a biologist who is interested in native species conservation. To that end, he conducted two studies, case A and case B. In case A, a non native apex predator C was introduced in formerly apex predator D's habitat. In case B, same non native apex predator C was removed from formerly apex predator D's habitat. He now needs to analyze the results of these studies.

Question: In which case predator D's prey selection would be less diversified, case A or case B?
Answer: case A

Situation: Rob is a biologist who is interested in native species conservation. To that end, he conducted two studies, case A and case B. In case A, a non native apex predator C was introduced in formerly apex predator D's habitat. In case B, same non native apex predator C was removed from formerly apex predator D's habitat. He now needs to analyze the results of these studies.

Question: Would predator D's prey selection be less or more diversified in case A than in case B?
Answer: less

Situation: Rob is a biologist who is interested in native species conservation. To that end, he conducted two studies, case A and case B. In case A, a non native apex predator C was introduced in formerly apex predator D's habitat. In case B, same non native apex predator C was removed from formerly apex predator D's habitat. He now needs to analyze the results of these studies.

Question: Would predator D's prey selection be less or more diversified in case B than in case A?
Answer: more

Situation: Rob is a biologist who is interested in native species conservation. To that end, he conducted two studies, case A and case B. In case A, a non native apex predator C was introduced in formerly apex predator D's habitat. In case B, same non native apex predator C was removed from formerly apex predator D's habitat. He now needs to analyze the results of these studies.

Question: In which case predator D's population would increase, case A or case B?
Answer: case B

Situation: Rob is a biologist who is interested in native species conservation. To that end, he conducted two studies, case A and case B. In case A, a non native apex predator C was introduced in formerly apex predator D's habitat. In case B, same non native apex predator C was removed from formerly apex predator D's habitat. He now needs to analyze the results of these studies.

Question: In which case predator D's population would decrease, case A or case B?
Answer: case A