Question

select the correct answer.
which statement about population monitoring is false?
a. population monitoring helps scientists understand how a species evolved.
b. population monitoring helps scientists determine if a conservation program is successful.
c. population monitoring helps scientists identify the type of species present in an ecosystem.
d. population monitoring helps scientists identify the emergence of mutations.

Explanation:

• Population monitoring focuses on aspects like population size, trends, and responses to conservation efforts.
• Identifying the type of species present in an ecosystem is more about species - identification techniques (like taxonomy, morphological or genetic identification) rather than population monitoring. Population monitoring is more about numbers and changes in numbers over time of known species.
• Option A: By tracking population changes over long periods (which is part of population monitoring), scientists can get insights into how a species has evolved (e.g., through changes in traits related to survival and reproduction in a population).
• Option B: If a conservation program is implemented, population monitoring (e.g., checking if the population of an endangered species increases) can show if the program is successful.
• Option D: If there are new traits (which could be due to mutations) appearing in a population and spreading, population monitoring (by observing changes in the characteristics of the population over time) can help identify the emergence of mutations.

Answer:

C. Population monitoring helps scientists identify the type of species present in an ecosystem.