Question

deforestation of kelp forests leads to loss of biodiversity and important ecosystem services. to monitor the health of kelp forest ecosystems, scientists use satellite images to measure how much area of the ocean is covered in kelp forests. the upper layer of a kelp forest, called the canopy, is visible from above. this graph shows the average kelp canopy area in a region off the coast of northern california from 1985 to 2019. average kelp canopy area 1985 - 2019 graph with x - axis labeled year (1985 - 2019) and y - axis labeled kelp canopy area (km²) select the true statements about the data. the five - year period with the highest average kelp canopy area was from 2004 to 2008. the average kelp canopy area has steadily increased since 1985. the average kelp canopy area fluctuates from year to year. the five - year period with the lowest average kelp canopy area was from 2015 to 2019.

Explanation:

Step1: Analyze the data visually

By looking at the bar - chart, we can see the height of the bars representing the average kelp canopy area for each year from 1985 to 2019.

Step2: Evaluate the first statement

For the five - year period from 2004 to 2008, we observe that the bar heights in this period are relatively high compared to other five - year periods, indicating a high average kelp canopy area.

Step3: Evaluate the second statement

The bar heights do not show a steady increase from 1985. There are fluctuations with some years having higher areas and some having lower areas.

Step4: Evaluate the third statement

The varying heights of the bars from year to year clearly show that the average kelp canopy area fluctuates from year to year.

Step5: Evaluate the fourth statement

The bar heights for the years 2015 - 2019 are the lowest compared to other time periods, indicating that this five - year period has the lowest average kelp canopy area.

Answer:

The five - year period with the highest average kelp canopy area was from 2004 to 2008.
The average kelp canopy area fluctuates from year to year.
The five - year period with the lowest average kelp canopy area was from 2015 to 2019.