Question

An ecologist counts the number of individuals in five samples of equal area for four species of organisms. Which of these counts best represents a clumped population?

A) 23, 21, 25, 22, 18
B) 133, 124, 113, 128, 119
C) 47, 18, 93, 12, 28
D) 12, 13, 12, 13, 11

Answer 1

Option C) 47, 18, 93, 12, 28 represents the most clumped population, where individuals of a species show an uneven distribution across samples, hinting at their tendency to cluster in areas with favorable conditions or resources.

Step-by-step explanation:

The count that best represents a clumped population is choice C) 47, 18, 93, 12, 28. In this count, individuals are not evenly distributed across samples, suggesting that they are gathered in clusters or clumps. This is a characteristic of a clumped distribution pattern, where organisms are grouped together in areas of the habitat that meet their requirements more than others. Clumped distributions are common in nature and can be driven by factors such as resource availability, social interactions, or environmental conditions favorable to the organisms. For instance, animals might gather around a water hole, or trees might grow more densely in fertile soil patches. In comparison, the other choices display more uniform or slightly variable counts, which do not typically indicate clumpiness.