A disease suddenly eliminates most of the deer population in a Wisconsin forest ecosystem. The food web includes oak trees, deer, squirrels, hawks, and wolves. Deer and squirrels eat acorns from oak trees, while wolves prey on deer and hawks prey on squirrels. Which of the following is the most likely immediate effect?
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A
The squirrel population will increase due to less competition for acorns.
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B
The number of oak trees will decrease because of the disease.
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C
The wolf population will likely decrease due to a loss of their primary food source.
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D
The hawk population will increase to take advantage of the weakened ecosystem.