A wildlife biologist hypothesizes that the recent decline in monarch butterfly populations in North America is largely caused by the loss of milkweed plants, which monarch caterpillars require for food.
Which finding, if true, would most strongly support the biologist's hypothesis?
- A
Monarch butterflies migrate long distances each year between Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
- B
Some butterfly species use plants other than milkweed as host plants.
- Ccheck_circle
Regions where milkweed has been most heavily lost from agricultural fields have experienced the steepest declines in monarch butterfly populations.
- D
Adult monarch butterflies feed on nectar from a wide range of flowers.
Explanation
A links regions of milkweed loss to greatest monarch declines, supporting the biologist's hypothesis. B, C, and D are tangential.