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Difficulty: MediumResolve the Paradox

Two years ago, agricultural researchers in a hazelnut-producing province introduced a predatory mite species into several commercial orchards to suppress populations of the destructive broad mite. Over the following two years, ecological surveys confirmed that the predatory mites established thriving populations and actively preyed on broad mites across every treated orchard. Surprisingly, however, commercial hazelnut crop damage specifically attributed to broad mite feeding was significantly higher in the treated orchards than in adjacent untreated control orchards during the same two-year period.

Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy described above?

  1. A
    Synthetic chemical pesticides previously utilized in the province eliminated a wider variety of pest species than biological control agents typically do.
  2. B
    The introduced predatory mites failed to maintain viable colony densities in the treated orchards during the winter months following their initial release.
  3. C
    Untreated control orchards suffered extensive foliage loss from leaf-blight fungal infections that were rare in the treated orchards.
  4. When broad mites detect scent cues from the predatory mites on leaves, they migrate into the protective husks of developing nuts, where their feeding causes far more severe crop damage than leaf feeding does.Answer
  5. E
    Orchard managers in the province have historically preferred eradicating all insect species on their properties regardless of whether those insects threaten nut yields.

Answer

The statement explaining that broad mites flee from predatory mites into the nut husks, where feeding causes far more severe damage than leaf feeding, resolves the discrepancy.
The correct choice explains that the presence of predatory mites induces broad mites to abandon foliage and relocate into the nut husks. Because feeding on the nut husks causes far more commercially significant damage than feeding on foliage, the treated orchards suffered greater crop loss even though predatory mites successfully suppressed the overall broad mite population on the leaves.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the two seemingly contradictory facts in the stimulus.
Fact 1: Predatory mites established thriving populations and actively preyed on broad mites in treated orchards. Fact 2: Crop damage attributed to broad mite feeding was higher in treated orchards than in untreated control orchards.
Resolving a paradox requires clearly isolating the two conflicting observations that must be reconciled.
2
Determine the necessary bridge that permits both facts to be simultaneously true without denying either premise.
A mechanism must show how active predation on broad mites can paradoxically lead to worse feeding damage on the hazelnut crop itself.
The correct answer must explain the coexistence of both facts without contradicting the experimental findings.
3
Evaluate the choices to find an underlying causal or behavioral mechanism.
The finding that predator scent causes surviving broad mites to relocate from leaves to the nuts themselves explains why commercial nut damage increased despite active predation.
This bridges the discrepancy between reduced pest abundance and increased localized crop damage.

Key Concept

Reconciling paradoxes via behavioral compensation and localized damage distribution
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Resolve the Paradox

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