An insect called the hemlock woolly adelgid was introduced to a Virginia forest ecosystem. This pest feeds on the nutrients stored inside a hemlock tree, resulting in the death of the tree. Which kind of data would best help a student evaluate the effect of this insect?
f A comparison of the adelgid with native pest species
g Information about the ecosystems characteristics
before the adelgid infestation
h A list of the foreign ecosystems infiltrated by the
hemlock woolly adelgid
j An account of how the adelgid was introduced into
Virginia ecosystems
1 answer
g Information about the ecosystem's characteristics before the adelgid infestation would be the best kind of data to help evaluate the effect of the insect. This data would provide a baseline for comparison to understand the changes that have occurred in the ecosystem due to the presence of the hemlock woolly adelgid.