Consider the following: You continue your experiments by taking one of the trees in the canopy and removing all of the ants. If the ants and aphids are in a mutualistic relationship that strongly benefits them both, you expect the aphid population will decrease in size in response to the lack of ants. The BEST control for your experiment in this scenario is a tree in which you _____ and you measure the abundance of _____ over time.
A)do not remove any insects; ants
B)do not remove any insects; aphids
C)add a second ant species; the first ant species
D)Actually, the control is built into the original experiment. You do not need to set up a separate control.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The best control for this scenario is a tree in which you do not remove any insects and measure the abundance of aphids over time. This will provide a comparison for the experimental tree where the ants have been removed, allowing you to determine whether the presence of ants is necessary for the growth of the aphid population. Options A and C introduce additional variables that could confound the results, and option D is not applicable as the control is not built into the original experiment.

Consider the Following: You Continue Your Experiments by Taking One