The grassland ecosystem of Montana is being studied for its resilience as the population of its keystone species, the prairie dog, has declined in recent years. Four plots are established, two that still contain populations of prairie dogs and two that no longer have prairie dogs due to outbreaks of plague. A survey is done measuring the total number of producers (number of plants) and the diversity of producers (number of species) of each plot. The data are summarized in the table.
The grassland ecosystem of Montana is being studied for its resilience as the population of its keystone species, the prairie dog, has declined in recent years. Four plots are established, two that still contain populations of prairie dogs and two that no longer have prairie dogs due to outbreaks of plague. A survey is done measuring the total number of producers (number of plants) and the diversity of producers (number of species) of each plot. The data are summarized in the table.
|
Plot |
Total Number of Plants |
Total Number of Species |
Presence of Keystone Species |
|
1 |
142 |
16 |
Yes |
|
2 |
29 |
6 |
No |
|
3 |
258 |
19 |
No |
|
4 |
96 |
4 |
Yes |
Based on this data, which of the following correctly describes how the total number of plant and plant species will change over time in these plots?
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