Question
To investigate the effect of lizard predation on spider populations, a student in a biology class placed spiders in two enclosures, one with lizards and one without, and tracked the number of spiders in the enclosures for 30 days. The student concluded that the reduction in the spider population count in the enclosure with lizards by day 30 was entirely attributable to the presence of the lizards.
Which choice best describes data from the graph that weaken the student’s conclusion?
Which choice best describes data from the graph that weaken the student’s conclusion?
Answers
GPT-4o mini
To weaken the student's conclusion that the reduction in the spider population in the enclosure with lizards was entirely due to lizard predation, you would look for data or patterns in the graph that suggest other factors might have contributed to the decrease in spider numbers. Some examples of data that could weaken the conclusion might include:
1. **Presence of Other Factors**: If the graph shows any other environmental changes (like temperature increases, availability of food, or changes in humidity) that could have impacted the spiders, it suggests that lizard predation isn’t the sole reason for the population decrease.
2. **Natural Mortality Rates**: If there is a noted baseline mortality rate for spiders regardless of lizard presence, the graph could depict that some decline in spider numbers could occur naturally over time without lizard predation.
3. **Similar Patterns in Both Groups**: If both enclosures (with and without lizards) show similar patterns of decline in spider populations, this would strongly suggest that the presence of lizards was not a contributing factor.
4. **Initial Differences**: If the initial spider population count was significantly different between the two enclosures, the interpretation could indicate that the starting condition, rather than lizard predation, influenced the reduction.
Choosing any of these options would best describe data that weakens the student's conclusion.
1. **Presence of Other Factors**: If the graph shows any other environmental changes (like temperature increases, availability of food, or changes in humidity) that could have impacted the spiders, it suggests that lizard predation isn’t the sole reason for the population decrease.
2. **Natural Mortality Rates**: If there is a noted baseline mortality rate for spiders regardless of lizard presence, the graph could depict that some decline in spider numbers could occur naturally over time without lizard predation.
3. **Similar Patterns in Both Groups**: If both enclosures (with and without lizards) show similar patterns of decline in spider populations, this would strongly suggest that the presence of lizards was not a contributing factor.
4. **Initial Differences**: If the initial spider population count was significantly different between the two enclosures, the interpretation could indicate that the starting condition, rather than lizard predation, influenced the reduction.
Choosing any of these options would best describe data that weakens the student's conclusion.