Question

What effect would the deaths of American chestnut trees have had on the moth species that fed only on their leaves before 1900?

A) The moth species would have gone extinct.
B) The moth species would have adapted to feed on other tree species.
C) The moth species would have migrated to other regions with American chestnut trees.
D) The moth species would have switched to feeding on other plant species.
E) The moth species would have experienced a decline in population but not go extinct.

Answer 1

The moth species that relied exclusively on the leaves of American chestnut trees likely went extinct following the massive decline of their food source due to the chestnut blight.

Step-by-step explanation:

The effect that the deaths of American chestnut trees would have had on the moth species that fed only on their leaves before 1900 is that the moth species would have gone extinct. This is supported by historical data indicating that after the Asian chestnut blight (Cryphonectria parasitica) devastated the American chestnut populations, at least seven moth species that were host-specific to the chestnut indeed went extinct. The likelihood of alternative survival strategies such as adapting to feed on other trees, migrating, or the species population only experiencing a decline are generally less supported by the ecological consequences as observed in this instance.