This question is not complete; here is the complete question:
A one-hectare pond is sampled in early September. The sample yields 1 small catfish as well as 17 benthic invertebrates that represent 10 species.
If the pond is resampled a year later, which of the following would best indicate that the pond had been adversely affected by adjacent development?
A. An uncommon species has become more numerous
B. An increase in low-tolerance species has occurred
C. A decrease in high-tolerance species has occurred
D. Phylogenetic diversity has occurred
E. The biodiversity of the pond has decreased
The answer to this question is E. The biodiversity of the pond has decreased
Explanation:
In ecology, an ecosystem can be affected by adjacent developments including human developments or even other ecosystems and this can lead to positive or negative consequences.
In this context, one example that shows the was an adverse effect is "The biodiversity of the pond has decreased" because the reduction in diversity represents a major thread for an ecosystem as this makes species more vulnerable to disappear. Also, this can be caused by factors such as pollution caused by human development or major predator of the adjacent ecosystem feeding on organisms in the main ecosystem. Besides this, in the first sample, there were multiple species and a reduction in the second sample shows the ecosystem was weakened.
