A population of water fleas in one pond has been declining. A storm leads to the migration of a few individuals from another pond into the original subpopulation, and the new migrants help prevent the original population from going extinct. This is an example of
A) environmental carrying capacity.
B) compensation.
C) the rescue effect.
D) density-independent factors.
E) habitat selection.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The scenario described is an example of the rescue effect, where migration of individuals from another population helps prevent extinction of a subpopulation that was otherwise declining. Option A, environmental carrying capacity, refers to the maximum population size that an environment can support, which is not relevant to this scenario. Option B, compensation, refers to the ability of populations to increase their reproductive output in response to decreased population density, which is also not applicable here. Option D, density-independent factors, refers to environmental factors that affect populations regardless of their size, while habitat selection (option E) describes the ability of organisms to select habitats that suit their needs, neither of which are relevant to the scenario described.

A Population of Water Fleas in One Pond Has Been