Final answer:
Cleaner factories result in lighter-colored trees, leading to an increase in the white moth population due to better camouflage against predators, reversing the trend from the Industrial Revolution where darker moths had a survival advantage.
Step-by-step explanation:
The impact of industrial development on tree color can significantly affect the population of white moths. When factories release less soot into the environment, trees tend to revert to lighter colors as lichens recolonize and the bark cleans. During the Industrial Revolution, increased soot darkened trees, which led to dark-colored moths, such as the peppered moth, having better camouflage against predators like birds. Consequently, the white or light-colored moths were more visible and more likely to be predated upon. Conversely, with factories becoming cleaner in recent years and trees becoming lighter in color, we would expect a decrease in the population of darker moths and an increase in the population of white moths since they would now be better camouflaged and less likely to be eaten by predators.