Consider the figure, which shows how Virginia pepperweed responds to herbivores. Which of the following conclusions can we make solely using the data shown? I. Plants increased glucosinolate production when aphids were present.
II) Plants with more glucosinolate and trichomes had fewer aphids.
III) Producing glucosinolate and trichomes reduced plant fitness when aphids were absent.

Question

Consider the figure, which shows how Virginia pepperweed responds to herbivores. Which of the following conclusions can we make solely using the data shown?  I. Plants increased glucosinolate production when aphids were present.
II) Plants with more glucosinolate and trichomes had fewer aphids.
III) Producing glucosinolate and trichomes reduced plant fitness when aphids were absent.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

From the graph, we can see that when aphids were present, the production of glucosinolate increased. This supports conclusion I. We can also see that plants with more glucosinolate and trichomes had fewer aphids, which supports conclusion II. However, we cannot make any conclusions about the effect of producing glucosinolate and trichomes on plant fitness when aphids are absent, so we cannot support conclusion III. Therefore, the correct answer is D: I and II only.

Consider the Figure, Which Shows How Virginia Pepperweed Responds to Herbivores