Question

An experiment was conducted on the population growth of worms. Worms were added to two identical bins. The bins were both kept at 20°C, except for the month of January when bin 2 was kept at 30°C. Each week, 2.5 kg of food was added to bin 1. In bin 2, 2.5 kg of food was added each week in all months except April. In April, 3.5 kg of food was added per week. The results of the experiment are below.


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Are the ecosystems in the bins self-sustaining?
A.
Yes, because the worms reproduced.
B.
Yes, because once the bins were established the students didn't have to add anything to them.
C.
No, because the worms did not reproduce.
D.
No, because food has to be added to the bins in order for the worms to survive.

Answer 1

The best answer to the question of whether the ecosystems in the bins are self-sustaining is:

**D. No, because food has to be added to the bins in order for the worms to survive.**

This response indicates that the ecosystems in both bins rely on the continual addition of food, suggesting they are not self-sustaining.