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Question #46032
The Question
An ecologist monitors a highly productive monoculture crop field and notes that its 'standing crop' is exceptionally high. Applying Paul Ehrlich’s Rivet Popper hypothesis and David Tilman’s long-term ecosystem experiments, which of the following statements regarding this ecosystem is INCORRECT?
Options
- A.
Because the standing crop is exceptionally high, the ecosystem demonstrates maximum functional redundancy and minimal year-to-year variation in total biomass.
- B.
The ecosystem lacks functional redundancy, meaning the loss of even a few remaining species could trigger a disproportionately rapid ecological collapse.
- C.
The current high biomass masks an underlying vulnerability, as low-diversity systems inherently exhibit greater year-to-year variation in productivity.
- D.
The ecosystem's high productivity is uncoupled from complex food web interactions, making it analogous to an airplane heavily depleted of its structural rivets.
Check Your Answer
Correct Answer
Step-by-Step Solution
Explanation
How the Examiner Thinks
Evolutionary_Exception
Tackle problems where standard rules evolve or change based on specific environmental constraints.
Concepts Behind This Question
Primary Succession Facilitation|Hydrarch vs Xerarch Convergence
Why This Question Is Tricky
Common Mistakes
Conceptual Pivot: Conflating 'Standing Crop/Productivity' with 'Ecosystem Stability'.
Students often fall for the 'Quantitative Nuance' trap, assuming that a massive amount of biomass (high standing crop) automatically implies a healthy, stable, and resilient ecosystem.
They fail to integrate Chapter 14 (Ecosystem) with Chapter 15 (Biodiversity), specifically missing Tilman's finding that stability is a function of species richness (functional redundancy), not just raw biomass.
Quick Facts About This Question
Question Information
| Subject | Biology |
| Chapter | Ecosystem - Class 12 |
| Concept | Standing Crop quantification |
| Difficulty | 8 |
| Cognitive Load | 5 |
| Target Solve Time | 120 sec |
| Access | Free |