Biologist: A localized ecosystem can successfully recover from the abrupt loss of its apex predator only if the population of its primary consumers is actively restricted and the habitat's foundational flora remains largely intact. In the Veridian Valley ecosystem, a viral pathogen recently eradicated the native cougar population, which served as the sole apex predator. Although state wildlife officials have implemented an aggressive culling program that is successfully restricting the population of primary consumers, the Veridian Valley ecosystem will nevertheless fail to recover from the loss of the cougars.
Which one of the following, if assumed, enables the biologist's conclusion to be properly drawn?
- In any ecosystem where aggressive culling programs are utilized to restrict primary consumers, the foundational flora does not remain largely intact.Answer
- BAny localized ecosystem in which the primary consumer population is actively restricted and the foundational flora remains largely intact will successfully recover from the loss of an apex predator.
- CThe abrupt loss of a region's sole apex predator usually triggers cascading ecological effects that prevent the habitat's foundational flora from remaining largely intact.
- DIf the state wildlife officials had failed to successfully restrict the population of primary consumers, the Veridian Valley ecosystem would not be able to recover.
- EThe viral pathogen that eradicated the cougars has also severely weakened the immune systems of the remaining primary consumers in the Veridian Valley.
Answer
The correct answer is the option stating that in any ecosystem where aggressive culling programs are utilized, the foundational flora does not remain largely intact.
The argument concludes that the ecosystem will not recover. According to the first sentence, recovery requires TWO things: restricting primary consumers AND keeping foundational flora intact. The stimulus tells us the first condition (restricting consumers) is being met through an aggressive culling program. Therefore, the only way to guarantee the ecosystem will NOT recover is to establish that the second condition (intact flora) is failing. The correct option links a known fact about Veridian Valley (it uses an aggressive culling program) to the exact outcome we need (the flora does not remain largely intact). If this option is true, Veridian Valley fails a necessary condition, proving definitively that it will not recover.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Sufficient Assumption in formal logic involving compound necessary conditions (AND/OR). To force the failure of a sufficient condition, one must trigger the contrapositive by ensuring at least one necessary condition is not met.