A scientist claims that the recovery of a particular bird population depends on protecting a specific type of grassland habitat, rather than on protecting forests or wetlands also used by the species.
Which finding, if true, would most strongly support the scientist's claim?
- A
Many bird species use multiple habitat types.
- Bcheck_circle
Areas where the bird's preferred grassland habitat has been protected and restored have seen population recovery, while areas where forests or wetlands were expanded but grasslands declined have seen further population drops.
- C
Some grasslands have been converted to cropland in recent decades.
- D
The bird is native to several continents.
Explanation
A specifically isolates the grassland-habitat factor as predictive of recovery, while ruling out forest and wetland expansion as substitutes. B, C, and D are tangential.