Question

The Hawaiian honeycreeper has a highly evolved, mutualistic relationship with the Hawaiian silversword, a native plant that grows on beach front cliffs and dunes. The honeycreeper feeds almost exclusively on silversword nectar, and is the only pollinator of the plant. Hawaii, as you know, is one of the most sought-after resort areas in the world. The honeycreeper is now endangered, as a consequence of resort development.
The major contributor to the endangered status of the honeycreeper is

A)
over-hunting of honeycreepers by sportsmen.


B)
the destruction of silversword plants by condominium and hotel developers.


C)
introduction of another species of bird that also pollinates silversword plants, by zoos and pet owners.


D)
global climate change has made Hawaii too cold for the silverswords to continue growing, and honeycreepers have nothing to eat.

Answer 1

Answer: B The destruction of silversword plants by condominium and hotel developers.

Mutalism is a interspecific relationship between two distinct species, in which both species gets the benefit of living in an association. In the given situation, the Hawaiian honeycreeper and Hawaiian silverword plants are living in a mutalistic association. In a mutalistic relationship both the species are dependent on each other, to perform their biological functions such as honeycreeper feeds on the nectar of the plants of silverword and in turn the plants are pollinated by these birds. Thus, the decrease in population of one species can reduce the abundance of the other.

Therefore, the honeycreeper is now endangered, as a consequence of resort development because of the destruction of silverword plants by condominium  and hotel developers.  

Answer 2

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