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Question #46057
The Question
Ecologists utilize Paul Ehrlich’s 'Rivet Popper Hypothesis' and David Tilman’s experiments to understand the diversity-stability relationship. When analyzing 'Alien Species Invasions' (a driver of the Evil Quartet) through these frameworks, which of the following statements is INCORRECT?
Options
- A.
The competitive exclusion of a native keystone species by an alien invader is analogous to losing a crucial 'rivet' on the airplane wing, leading to severe ecosystem impairment.
- B.
Alien species exhibit explosive population growth due to the absence of natural predators in the invaded land, accelerating the 'popping' of native species rivets.
- C.
The introduction of an alien species increases the functional redundancy of the invaded ecosystem, thereby enhancing its resilience against year-to-year biomass variations.
- D.
The illegal introduction of the African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) threatens indigenous catfishes, ultimately decreasing the ecosystem's stability as predicted by Tilman.
Check Your Answer
Correct Answer
Step-by-Step Solution
Explanation
How the Examiner Thinks
Comparative_Analysis
Sharpen your ability to evaluate multiple scenarios and distinguish between competing potential answers.
Concepts Behind This Question
Z-value|Large Areas|Niche Partitioning
Why This Question Is Tricky
Common Mistakes
Conceptual Pivot: Students often confuse the mere 'addition of a new species' (invasion) with an 'increase in biodiversity'.
They may mistakenly apply Tilman's rule (more species = more stability) to invasive species, failing to realize that invasive species act as agents of competitive exclusion.
By displacing native taxa, alien species drastically reduce functional redundancy and destabilize the food web, contradicting the stable state of naturally high-diversity systems.
Quick Facts About This Question
Question Information
| Subject | Biology |
| Chapter | Biodiversity and Conservation - Class 12 |
| Concept | Diversity-Stability Relationship |
| Difficulty | 8 |
| Cognitive Load | 5 |
| Target Solve Time | 120 sec |
| Access | Free |