A wildlife conservation team observed that a local population of river otters experienced a substantial increase in breeding success shortly after commercial fisheries in the river basin switched from traditional nylon nets to a newly designed biodegradable netting. The team concluded that the transition to biodegradable netting was directly responsible for the rebound in the otter population.
Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the conservation team's argument?
- AThe introduction of the biodegradable netting coincided with a regional ban on industrial pollutants that had previously contaminated the river's main food supply.
- BBiodegradable materials are guaranteed to improve reproductive rates across all aquatic mammal populations regardless of specific local conditions.
- Veterinary post-mortem examinations revealed that prior to the switch, entanglement in traditional nylon netting was the leading cause of mortality among breeding-age otters in the river basin.Answer
- DCommercial fisheries reported substantially higher maintenance and replacement costs after adopting the biodegradable netting.
- EAdjacent river systems where commercial fisheries continue to use nylon netting maintain stable populations of other semi-aquatic species, such as beavers.
Answer
The statement showing that entanglement in traditional nylon netting was the leading cause of death among breeding-age otters prior to the switch most strongly strengthens the conclusion.
The conclusion asserts a direct causal relationship between the new netting and the increase in otter breeding success. By establishing that traditional nylon nets were previously the primary cause of death among breeding-age otters, the correct statement provides evidence of the specific mechanism of harm that was eliminated by the switch, thereby strongly reinforcing the causal conclusion.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Strengthening a Causal Argument