Question

alewife populations undergo extreme fluctuations sometimes experiencing large scale die - offs from unknown causes. this is an example of what population growth pattern? exponential; stable; predator and prey; irregular or irruptive

Explanation:

The alewife population has extreme fluctuations and large - scale die - offs with unknown causes. An exponential growth pattern is a continuous increase at a constant rate. A stable growth pattern has little variation in population size. The predator - prey pattern is a cyclical relationship between predator and prey populations. The "Irregular or irruptive" pattern is characterized by unpredictable and extreme changes in population size, which matches the description of the alewife population's growth pattern.

Answer:

D. Irregular or irruptive