A farmer's land includes a wilderness area that is home to an endangered species of bird.He wants to sell the land to a developer,and you have been hired to evaluate the environmental concerns."This little patch of land is not crucial for the bird species!" the farmer says,"In fact,my land is surrounded by several other wilderness patches that also have that bird." You reply: "It is possible that your land acts as the ________ and the other areas are ________.If that's the case,development would be devastating to the population."

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The correct terms are "source" for the farmer's land, implying it is a critical area where the bird population can thrive and reproduce, and "sinks" for the surrounding areas, which might depend on the source for replenishment of the bird population. Development on the source land could therefore have a disproportionately large negative impact on the species' overall survival.

A Farmer's Land Includes a Wilderness Area That Is Home