Read the Following Scenario, and Answer the Questions Below

question 44

Multiple Choice

Read the following scenario, and answer the questions below.

In North America, a toxic weed called leafy spurge was accidentally introduced and has grown and spread rapidly, covering millions of acres in north- central United States and south- central Canada. Leafy spurge is generally avoided by cattle and horses and may be toxic to them. Thus, rangeland where leafy spurge has spread has been damaged by the invasion of this plant.

-Some flea beetles escape from a ship and fly to a small island covered with grass but with no trees or beetle predators.As the beetles feed,they destroy all the grasses.But with abundant food,the beetle population soars,doubling in size every month.After about a year,the population crashes as thousands of beetles have destroyed almost all of the plants,and there is little left to feed the large population.This scenario best illustrates ________.

• A)the fact that the beetles have strong competition from other species for food supply
• B)constant growth followed by equilibrium
• C)a population that has stabilized near its carrying capacity
• D)exponential growth followed by a population crash

---

Definitions:

Population Mean

The average value of a population parameter, which is the sum of all the values in the population divided by the number of values.

Sampling Error

Refers to the error caused by observing a sample instead of the whole population.

Sampling Error

The discrepancy between the statistical measures of a sample and the actual parameters of the whole population.

Sample

A group chosen from the larger population for the purpose of collecting statistical data through observation or questioning.