How has DDT affected raptor populations?

Answer 1

Osprey were most susceptible because they were higher up the food chain.

*DDT runoff into streams *Minnows, crayfish, insects consumed some *Small fish ate those creatures, and so got an additive dose of all the DDT they were carrying *Larger fish ate the smaller ones and, again, the DDT load of each smaller fish added to that *Osprey consume large fish. THUS the osprey, as an end predator consumed the most DDT. Factor in that, the higher up the food chain you go, the fewer individuals there are.

The DDT made the eggshells fragile, so fewer osprey were hatched. So their numbers were reduced even more in comparison to those organisms that were more abundant to begin with.

Answer 2

DDT is a synthetic pesticide. While it was not its original purpose, DDT was eventually used on crops to eliminate insect pestilence and it did so wonderfully. However, DDT is not as toxic to mammals and the contaminated grain was consumed by mice, as well as washed off into the water systems where it infected fish and other aquatic animals. These animals were all prey to raptor birds and the brown pelican. DDT caused a steep decline in, most famously, bald eagle populations across the country, but also affected ospreys, peregrine falcons, brown pelicans, and a wide variety of other waterfowl and Songbirds who fed in contaminated grain and prey items. Once ingested, the DDT degrades into DDE, which is thought to inhibit the secretion of calcium in the process that forms the shell of the eggs, making them brittle and prone to breaking during incubation, resulting in fewer offspring and lower population numbers.

Answer 3

DDT thinned the shells of birds of prey, causing them to be easily broken. It also caused damage to their immune, nervous, and reproductive systems.