Thomas Bell and his colleagues studied bacterial species richness in isolated European beech treehole basins ("islands"). Their data showed that ______.
A) island size affects beech tree populations
B) the number of bacterial species decreases with treehole volume
C) the number of bacterial species increases with treehole volume
D) large beech trees support higher bacteria populations than small beech trees
E) the species-area effects on bacterial species differs from species-area effects on animal and plant populations on true islands

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

EThomas Bell and his colleagues found that the number of bacterial species increases with treehole volume, demonstrating a species-area relationship similar to that observed in larger, more traditional island ecosystems. This indicates that even in small, isolated habitats like treeholes, larger areas can support greater biodiversity. Additionally, their work suggested that the species-area effects observed for bacterial species in these microhabitats might differ from those seen in animal and plant populations on true islands, highlighting the unique dynamics of microbial communities in small, isolated environments.

Thomas Bell and His Colleagues Studied Bacterial Species Richness in Isolated