Question

Florida citrus farmer planted 4 groves of equal size that have the same amount of sunlight. Each of the groves was exposed to a different agent that caused many of the trees to die. Which of the 4 agents is a density-independent limiting factor?

a. Soil parasites
b. Bacterial pathogen
c. Flooding from a broken pipe
d. Attack by a group of herbivores

Answer 1

Flooding from a broken pipe is the density-independent limiting factor affecting the groves, as it impacts the trees regardless of their population density, unlike the other agents listed.

Step-by-step explanation:

The scenario described involves a Florida citrus farmer who planted 4 groves of equal size that received the same amount of sunlight, with each subjected to a different agent. Among the listed agents, the one that is a density-independent limiting factor is flooding from a broken pipe. Unlike soil parasites, bacterial pathogens, and herbivores, which can all be influenced by the density of the plant population, flooding impacts the groves regardless of their population density. This characteristic is a hallmark of density-independent factors which include events like natural disasters and extreme weather conditions.