Question

the mammillaria cactus m. guerreronis occurs naturally only in the state of guerrero in mexico, and the smallness of its range makes it especially vulnerable to extinction. the traditional single - species approach to conservation emphasizes the need to focus on individual species most at risk, like m. guerreronis, but recently, conservationists have argued that an ecosystem - based approach that incorporates the many interactions between the climate, terrain, and various species of a given geographical area may lead to better outcomes for all the species in a given location. an ecosystem - based approach to the conservation of m. guerreronis could thus
which choice most logically completes the text?
a allow conservationists to better consider how climatic changes affecting guerrero may reduce the number of species competing with m. guerreronis.
b identify conservation strategies that may not be exclusively aimed at protecting m. guerreronis but that benefit the species nonetheless.
c lead to a better understanding of how the distribution of mammillaria species throughout mexico has affected their survival.
d be unable to evaluate whether m. guerreronis would be capable of surviving in habitats outside of guerrero.

Explanation:

The text states that an ecosystem - based approach incorporates interactions between climate, terrain, and species. Option B aligns with this as it mentions strategies not exclusively for \(M. guerreronis\) but still beneficial (incorporating the ecosystem - wide view). Option A focuses only on climatic changes affecting competition (too narrow). Option C is about distribution in Mexico (not the ecosystem - based approach in Guerrero). Option D is negative (unable to evaluate) which goes against the positive outcome (better outcomes) of the ecosystem - based approach.

Answer:

B. identify conservation strategies that may not be exclusively aimed at protecting \(M. guerreronis\) but that benefit the species nonetheless.