Question

Which arguments led conservationists to reintroduce black-footed ferrets as metapopulations instead of as isolated populations?

1) If stochastic events killed off a few small populations, other black-footed ferrets would survive.
2) Living in small populations protects black-footed ferrets from inbreeding depression.
3) Each prairie dog town can only provide food for a small population of black-footed ferrets.
4) Smaller populations of black-footed ferrets have a lower risk of extinction than larger populations.

Answer 1

The introduction of black-footed ferrets as metapopulations is due to the increased resilience against stochastic events, ensuring species survival and recolonization capabilities.The correct answer is option 1.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct option that led conservationists to reintroduce black-footed ferrets as metapopulations is 1) If stochastic events killed off a few small populations, other black-footed ferrets would survive. Metapopulations consist of several small, interconnected populations, as opposed to isolated populations.

This increases the species' resilience to stochastic events such as natural disasters, diseases, and habitat loss, since the species can survive and recolonize from the remaining populations. Small population size and environmental fluctuations can greatly impact isolated populations, leading to a higher risk of extinction.

Introducing black-footed ferrets as metapopulations rather than isolated populations encourages genetic diversity and enhances the overall viability of the species. The argument about prairie dog towns (3) indicates the capacity limits for food resources but does not directly support the metapopulation structure.