Question
Jack pines are a species of trees which require fire to reproduce. These pine trees are found in forests which burn periodically. The pinecones of the trees will only release seeds after a fire. The fire destroys all of the vegetation on the ground, so that it will not compete with the young pine seedlings.
If the Jack pine's ecosystem does not burn for several decades, which statement BEST predicts the effect of a lack of fire on the survival of the Jack pine tree population?
A.
The population will increase because more pine trees will live longer.
B.
The population will decrease because there will be fewer pine tree seedlings.
C.
The population will increase because the pine trees will have more nutrients in the soil.
D.
The population will decrease because the pine trees will have less energy to grow deep roots.
If the Jack pine's ecosystem does not burn for several decades, which statement BEST predicts the effect of a lack of fire on the survival of the Jack pine tree population?
A.
The population will increase because more pine trees will live longer.
B.
The population will decrease because there will be fewer pine tree seedlings.
C.
The population will increase because the pine trees will have more nutrients in the soil.
D.
The population will decrease because the pine trees will have less energy to grow deep roots.
Answers
Answered by
GPT-4o mini
The best answer to the question is:
**B. The population will decrease because there will be fewer pine tree seedlings.**
This option correctly identifies that without fire, the Jack pine's ability to reproduce will be inhibited due to the lack of seed release from the pinecones, which only occurs after a fire. As a result, fewer new seedlings will survive, leading to a decrease in the population over time.
**B. The population will decrease because there will be fewer pine tree seedlings.**
This option correctly identifies that without fire, the Jack pine's ability to reproduce will be inhibited due to the lack of seed release from the pinecones, which only occurs after a fire. As a result, fewer new seedlings will survive, leading to a decrease in the population over time.