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Question #45198
The Question
In a closed island ecosystem, an introduced species exhibits a J-shaped population growth curve, rapidly depleting resources. This overshoot causes the extinction of several endemic keystone species. According to Paul Ehrlich’s Rivet Popper hypothesis, which of the following statements accurately predicts the ecosystem's fate?
Options
- A.
The extinction of keystone species acts as the loss of 'rivets on the seats', causing a gradual but non-lethal decline in ecosystem resilience.
- B.
The ecosystem will maintain its functional integrity as long as the introduced species maintains a high intrinsic rate of natural increase (r).
- C.
The loss of these key species represents the removal of 'rivets on the wings', driving a systemic collapse of ecosystem services even before the introduced species exhausts all resources.
- D.
The ecosystem will immediately shift to a logistic growth model, increasing functional redundancy to compensate for the lost species.
Check Your Answer
Correct Answer
Step-by-Step Solution
Explanation
How the Examiner Thinks
Regulatory_Failure
Understand how NOT, EXCEPT, and logical constraints are used to manipulate exam results.
Concepts Behind This Question
Carrying Capacity (K)|Sigmoid Curve|Invasive Species
Why This Question Is Tricky
Common Mistakes
Conceptual Pivot: Students often fail to synthesize concepts across chapters.
This question requires mapping 'keystone species' (Biodiversity) to 'rivets on the wings' (Rivet Popper Hypothesis) and understanding that exponential growth (Organisms and Populations) in a closed system causes resource depletion that triggers this ecosystem collapse.
The trap lies in Option A, which correctly identifies a decline but misclassifies the type of rivet, and Option B, which confuses the success of a single species with overall ecosystem stability.
Quick Facts About This Question
Question Information
| Subject | Biology |
| Chapter | Organisms and Populations - Class 12 |
| Concept | Population Growth Model Dynamics |
| Difficulty | 8 |
| Cognitive Load | 5 |
| Target Solve Time | 120 sec |
| Access | Free |