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Difficulty: MediumCommand of Evidence: Textual

Ecologist Dr. Sarah Jenkins and her team studied how forest fragmentation affects the seed-dispersal behavior of the red-knobbed hornbill (BycanistesBycanistes bucinatorbucinator) in subtropical woodlands. Hornbills are vital to forest regeneration because they consume fruit whole and deposit seeds far from the parent trees. Jenkins hypothesized that because small, isolated forest patches offer fewer resources and greater exposure to edge effects, hornbills would restrict their foraging time in these smaller patches, ultimately leading to lower rates of seed dispersal within them than in larger, continuous forest areas. Which finding, if true, would most directly support Jenkins's hypothesis?

  1. Hornbills tracked during the study spent significantly less time foraging in forest patches under 1010 hectares than in tracts larger than 100100 hectares, and fewer seeds were successfully dispersed in the smaller patches.Answer
  2. B
    The species of fruit trees favored by the hornbills produced similar yields of fruit per tree in both small forest patches and large continuous tracts.
  3. C
    Hornbills in smaller forest patches displayed higher levels of stress hormones, indicating that they perceived these fragmented environments as highly threatening.
  4. D
    The overall population of red-knobbed hornbills in the region remained stable despite ongoing forest fragmentation and loss of continuous woodland habitats.

Answer

The finding that tracked hornbills spent significantly less time foraging in smaller patches and successfully dispersed fewer seeds there than in larger tracts.
The correct option directly supports the hypothesis by providing data showing that hornbills spent less time foraging in smaller forest patches than in larger ones, and that this behavior correlated with a lower number of seeds successfully dispersed in those smaller patches.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the core claim or hypothesis in the passage.
The hypothesis is that hornbills restrict their foraging time in small, isolated forest patches, leading to lower seed dispersal rates in those patches compared to larger, continuous forest areas.
This establishes the exact relationship (small patches lead to less foraging time and lower dispersal rates) that the correct evidence must support.
2
Evaluate the choices to find data that directly aligns with the elements of the hypothesis.
The correct finding must measure both foraging time and seed dispersal rates across different patch sizes, showing lower values for both in smaller patches.
This logical filtering eliminates options that present unrelated metrics (such as fruit yields, stress hormones, or overall population stability).
3
Select the option that confirms both components of the hypothesis.
The option showing less foraging time in patches under 1010 hectares and fewer seeds dispersed in those patches directly validates Jenkins's hypothesis.
It provides the exact empirical evidence required to support the proposed ecological relationship.

Key Concept

Command of Evidence: Textual
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Command of Evidence: Textual

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