Please Use the Following Information to Answer the Question(s) Below

question 69

Multiple Choice

Please use the following information to answer the question(s) below.
The contamination of soils with heavy metals has become more common as a result of the burning of fossil fuels, industrial activities, and agricultural fertilizer application. These heavy metals can be toxic depending on the concentrations that accumulate in an organism. A scientist hypothesizes that biological magnification of heavy metals in fragment-dwelling, insect-eating birds should be greater in forest fragments with relatively more edge habitat because edge-dwelling bird species may forage for insects in contaminated areas outside of the forest. Forest fragments with more interior habitat would not have as much biological magnification because insect-eating interior bird species would have less exposure to insects that contain heavy metals.
-To test this hypothesis, the scientist conducts an experiment. Which of the following designs would be most informative?

• A) Locate a single forest fragment with equal amounts of edge and interior habitat, then sample the blood of insect-eating birds at regular distances along a path across the widest point of the fragment.
• B) Locate several forest fragments of similar sizes but different shapes, then sample the blood of insect-eating birds at regular distances along a 100-m path in each fragment.
• C) Locate several forest fragment of different sizes but similar shapes, then sample the blood of insect-eating birds at regular distances along a path across the widest point of each fragment.
• D) Locate several forest fragments of similar sizes and shapes, then sample the blood of insect-eating birds at regular distances along a 100-m path in each fragment.

---

Definitions:

Looking Behavior

The act of directing one’s gaze towards something, often studied in psychological research to understand focus and interest.

Visual Scanning

The act of systematically moving one's gaze across a visual field to detect and process information.

Spontaneous Neural Activity

The natural or inherent electrical activity within neurons in the absence of explicit external stimuli, playing a key role in brain development and function.

Eye Contact

The act of looking directly into another person's eyes, which can convey emotions, intentions, and social cues.