Which among grass, goat, tiger and vulture in a food chain, will have the maximum concentration of harmful chemicals in its body due to contamination of pesticides in the soil?
(a) Grass since it grows in the contaminated soil
(b) Goat since it eats the grass
(c) Tiger since it feeds on the goat which feeds on the grass
(d) Vulture since it eats the tiger, which in turn eats the goat, which eats the grass
Answer is : (d) Vulture since it eats the tiger, which in turn eats the goat, which eats the grass
The increase in concentration of harmful chemical substance like pesticides in the body of living organisms at each trophic level of a food chain is called biological magnification. The organism which occurs at the highest trophic level in the food chain will have the maximum concentration of harmful chemicals in its body. Since vulture occupies the top level as it eats the tiger, which eats the goat, which eats the grass in the food chain, it will have the maximum concentration of harmful chemicals in its body.