Question

Which statement about Patterson's study of the distributions of Tamias chipmunks in the southwestern United States is false?

1) It found that in mountain ranges where two species were present, the overlap of their distributions was small.
2) It found that in mountain ranges where only one species was present, that species was found over a broader distribution of habitats than would have been possible in the presence of a competitor.
3) They were manipulative experiments.
4) They suggested that competition is limiting the ranges of the species.

Answer 1

The false statement about Patterson's study is that it involved manipulative experiments rather than being observational research into the distributions of Tamias chipmunks and their overlap in habitats.

Step-by-step explanation:

The false statement regarding Patterson's study of the distributions of Tamias chipmunks in the southwestern United States is that they were manipulative experiments. Patterson's study, referenced in the given text, likely observed patterns in the distributions of species across various habitats, noting how species distributions can overlap or be affected by different factors like competition, but this does not imply that manipulative experiments were conducted.

The study found that where two species were present in a mountain range, their distribution overlap was limited, implying competition may be at play. Conversely, where only one species was present in a mountain range, its habitat distribution was observed to be broader, suggesting the absence of competition allows for greater habitat occupation. These are observational findings that document distribution patterns and infer ecological relationships rather than being the result of controlled, manipulative experiments.