Question

use the information about kit fox ecology and your knowledge of science to answer the questions.
kit fox ecology
the san joaquin kit fox is a small fox, about the size of a house cat. it is native to the san joaquin valley, which is the southern part of california’s central valley. table 1 shows some characteristics of san joaquin kit foxes.
table 1. san joaquin kit fox characteristics
preferred habitat: deserts, open grasslands, prairies, scrub lands
size: about the size of a house cat
diet: small rodents, lizards, birds, insects
behavior: hunts at night; digs in soft soil to make underground dens
reproduction: two to six pups each year
predators: red foxes, coyotes, bobcats, raptors
other threats: habitat loss from human encroachment; use of pesticides and poisons
in the 1800s, the san joaquin valley of california was mostly open grassland and marshes with a few sparsely wooded areas. today, humans have changed much of the central valley for agricultural and urban use. figure 1 shows the results of a study about a portion of fresno county in the central valley changed over time.
9 which human intervention would most likely protect and maintain kit fox populations?
a move kit foxes to areas with large populations of similar mammals.
b protect grasslands and prairies from development.
c move kit foxes to sparsely populated mountainous regions.
d introduce a species that could be a new kit fox food source.

Explanation:

To protect kit fox populations, we analyze the options:

• Option A: Moving to areas with similar mammals may not address habitat loss (a key threat from Table 1: "habitat loss from human encroachment").
• Option B: The kit fox’s preferred habitat (Table 1) includes "open grasslands, prairies". Protecting these from development preserves their natural habitat, directly combating habitat loss (a major threat) and supporting their survival.
• Option C: Moving to mountainous regions is not their preferred habitat (Table 1: deserts, grasslands, etc., not mountains), so this is unsuitable.
• Option D: Introducing a new food source risks disrupting the ecosystem (e.g., invasive species, unbalanced food webs) and does not address habitat loss, the primary threat.

Thus, protecting grasslands/prairies (Option B) is the most effective intervention.

Answer:

B. Protect grasslands and prairies from development.