The volcanic oceanic island of Krakatoa is located in Indonesia. In 1883, this island experienced a massive volcanic explosion that killed most of the plants and animals living on the island. For the following set of organisms, indicate the order in which you would expect the number of species on the island to return to the pre-eruption equilibrium number.
A)lizards, birds, butterflies, beetles
B)birds, lizards, butterflies, beetles
C)birds, butterflies, lizards, beetles
D)birds, butterflies, beetles, lizards

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The expected order of return for these organisms after a volcanic eruption is correlated with their mobility and adaptability to survive. Birds are the most mobile and adaptive so they will return first. Butterflies are known to be more resistant than lizards, so they will return before lizards. Beetles have a longer lifecycle and are less adaptive, so they are expected to return last. Therefore, the correct answer is choice C: birds, butterflies, lizards, beetles.

The Volcanic Oceanic Island of Krakatoa Is Located in Indonesia