Question

the burmese python, often kept as a house pet, established a wild population in the florida everglades beginning around the year 2000. to investigate the impact of this in on the biodiversity of the everglades, a group of researchers compared average nightly sightings of several small mammal species in the area before and after 2000. the gra data collected by the researchers. which statement best summarizes the impact of the invasive burmese python on the biodiversity in the everglades? biodiversity decreased as the burmese pythons competed with small mammals for resources. biodiversity decreased as the burmese pythons preyed on small mammals as food sources. biodiversity increased as the establishment of burmese python populations added a new species to the ecosystem. biodiversity increased as competition and predation from the burmese pythons led small mammals to evolve into new species.

Explanation:

The bar graph shows a significant decrease in average nightly sightings of small mammals (white - tailed deer, raccoon, Virginia opossum, marsh rabbit) from 1993 - 1999 (before the Burmese python population was well - established) to 2003 - 2011 (after the Burmese python population was established). Since pythons are predators, it is likely that they preyed on these small mammals. Competition (for resources like food, space) would also have an impact, but predation (preying on them as food) is a more direct cause of the decline in small mammal populations shown in the graph. Adding a new species (the Burmese python) does not increase biodiversity in a positive sense if it causes a decline in other species. Evolution into new species due to competition and predation would take a much longer time than the time frame (about a decade) of the study and is not indicated by the graph.

Answer:

Biodiversity decreased as the Burmese pythons preyed on small mammals as food sources.