You Are Managing a Metapopulation of a Threatened Beetle That

You are managing a metapopulation of a threatened beetle that lives on a plant that is found in patches.Thus the beetle is also found in patches, which vary in size.You have limited resources and cannot save all of the beetle populations.On which patches should you concentrate your efforts, and why?

A) The patches that provide the easiest access, because patch size does not matter
B) The smallest patches, because these populations have the highest growth rates
C) The smallest patches, because these populations are at highest risk for extinction
D) The largest patches, because these populations have the highest potential to re-seed the other patches
E) The largest patches, because these populations are least likely to suffer environmental disturbances