Question

to investigate the effect of lizard predation on spider populations, a student in a biology class placed spiders in two enclosures, one with lizards and one without, and tracked the number of spiders in the enclosures for 30 days. the student concluded that the reduction in the spider population count in the enclosure with lizards by day 30 was entirely attributable to the presence of the lizards. which choice best describes data from the graph that weaken the students conclusion?

Explanation:

The student's conclusion is that the reduction in the spider population in the enclosure with lizards is entirely due to the presence of lizards. However, looking at the graph, the spider population in the enclosure without lizards (the control group) also decreases over time. This shows that there are other factors (not just lizards) affecting the spider population. For example, it could be due to limited resources (food, space), disease, or other environmental factors. Since the population in the no - lizard enclosure is not constant, it weakens the claim that the reduction in the lizard - present enclosure is only because of lizards.

Answer:

The spider population in the enclosure without lizards also decreases over time.