Question

Cactus finches have long, pointed beaks. Say the only source of food for Cactus finches is cactus flowers. If a plant disease killed a large portion of the cacti on the Galapagos islands, how would the population of Cactus finches change? (1 point)
Responses

The population of Cactus finches would decrease because there would be less competition for food.
The population of Cactus finches would decrease because there would be less competition for food.

The population of Cactus finches would increase because there would more food available for each individual.
The population of Cactus finches would increase because there would more food available for each individual.

The population of Cactus finches would decrease because there would be more competition for food.
The population of Cactus finches would decrease because there would be more competition for food.

The population of Cactus finches would increase because there would be less food available for each individual.

Answer 1

The correct response is:

**The population of Cactus finches would decrease because there would be more competition for food.**

If a large portion of the cacti were killed by a plant disease, there would be less food available (cactus flowers) for the Cactus finches. With less food, there would likely be increased competition among the finches for the remaining resources, leading to a decrease in their population over time.