Isle Royale is the largest island in Lake Superior. The food chain on Isle Royale is relatively simple, there are many producers, one large herbivore, moose, and one top predator, grey wolves. Moose feed mainly on balsam fir in the winter, and wolves feed mostly on moose. Each year, researchers count the wolves and moose and measure the size of the growth rings of balsam fir trees on the island. They graphed the data as follows: Modified From: McLaren, B. E., & Peterson, R. O. (1994). Wolves, moose, and tree rings on Isle Royale. Science, 266(5190), 1555.

Suppose there was a hard winter and many of the moose die. What will happen to the balsam fir growth?

The balsam fir tree growth will not be affected by the moose population.

The balsam fir tree growth will not be affected by the wolf population.

The balsam fir tree growth will increase.

The balsam fir tree growth will decrease.