Question

a park ranger is tasked with maintaining the raccoon population in a local state park. the park ranger has noticed that the number of raccoons are close to becoming over - populated even though the other species in their food chain have maintained their numbers. which of the following is the best explanation for why the number of raccoons has increased?
o the trees in the park have grown substantially over the past few years providing more shelter for the raccoons.
o the raccoons are eating food left behind by campers making it easy to gain nutrients.
o the amount of water in the park has increased over time due to increased rainfall.
o co2 from car exhaust helps the plants increase the amount of glucose they can create.

Explanation:

The key is to find a factor that directly benefits the raccoon population. Option A about tree growth providing more shelter is a habitat - related benefit for raccoons. Option B is about an external food source not part of the natural food - chain. Option C is about water amount which may not be the most direct factor for population increase. Option D is about a process related to plants and not directly related to raccoon population increase. A habitat improvement like more shelter can lead to population growth.

Answer:

The trees in the park have grown substantially over the past few years providing more shelter for the raccoons.