Text 1: Biologist Park argues that introducing wolves can stabilize elk populations in degraded ecosystems. By creating a "landscape of fear," wolves alter elk behavior in ways that allow vegetation to recover even before elk numbers fall significantly.
Text 2: Biologist Singh accepts that wolves change elk behavior but cautions against the "landscape of fear" as a universal mechanism. Studies in different terrains have produced inconsistent results; behavioral changes detectable in one valley have failed to appear in others with similar wolf densities. The mechanism may operate sometimes but is not the simple, universal force its enthusiasts describe.
The authors most clearly disagree about
- A
whether vegetation grows in elk habitats.
- B
whether wolves can affect elk behavior in some settings.
- Ccheck_circle
whether the landscape of fear mechanism operates universally and predictably.
- D
whether elk populations exist.
Explanation
Both accept that wolves can change elk behavior; they differ on universality. B captures the dispute.