In the late 1960's, Robert Paine conducted landmark studies on diversity in the rocky intertidal zone comparing the species diversity in control plots with diversity in experimental plots from which he removed the top predator, sea stars
After 5 years, 15 species of
intertidal invertebrates lived in the control plots, while the experimental plots were dominated
by only two species, one mussel and one barnacle. Why did species diversity most likely
remain high in the presence of a predator?
A. The sea star kept the mussel and barnacle
populations low enough to prevent
competitive exclusion from occurring.
B. The sea star kept the mussel and
barnacles from developing a mutualistic
relationship. That, in turn, kept their
populations low.
C. The mussel and the barnacle parasitized
the sea star, keeping populations low enough
to prevent competitive exclusion from
occurring.
D. The sea star developed a mutalistic
relationship with the mussel and barnacle,
keeping their populations low and preventing
competitive exclusion from happening.
A
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