Question

The sampling effect hypothesis is an explanation for why productivity increases when plant species diversity increases. Which of these predictions follows from this hypothesis?

a) Productivity should be highest in the tropics, where species diversity is highest. '
b) The more mutualists are present (e.g. beneficial fungi, nitrogen-fixing plants), the higher the biomass.
c) If a certain "big-producer" is present, then biomass in a plot is high. If the big producer is absent, biomass is low.
d) There should be a strong positive relationship between the number of functional groups in an experimental plot and biomass.

Answer 1

The answer is C

If a certain “big-producer” is present, then biomass in a plot is high. If the big producer is absent, biomass is low follows from this hypothesis. Productivity means the condition, position, or action of remaining capacity to produce, organize, intensify the plant species. Therefore the sampling effect hypothesis is an explanation for why productivity increases when plant species diversity increases. The above mentioned prediction follows hypothesis.

Answer 2

The best answer for this question, would be the following processes:

a) Productivity should be highest in the tropics, where species diversity is highest. '

d) There should be a strong positive relationship between the number of functional groups in an experimental plot and biomass.