Question

Each year, pine forests suffer large losses due to pine beetle infestation. These beetles carry a fungus that infects and kills the tree. Which, if any, of the following terms is not an accurate term for the role of the beetle?

a. pathogen
b. reservoir
c. vector
d. host
e. all of the above accurately describe the role of the beetle

Answer 1

a. Pathogen

Step-by-step explanation:

A pathogen organism is the main cause of disease in another organism. In this example, beetles just carry the fungus, which is the real cause of the infection in the pines. So, beetles are vectors of the fungus. They also can be called "Reservoirs" or "hosts", and the fungus is the pathogen that produces the pine’s death.