NAEP Science Grade 12

Category - Biology

Which of the following best explains why wildflowers on the forest floor in temperate deciduous forests often bloom between late March and early May in Massachusetts?
  1. Higher temperatures are more prevalent later in the summer.
  2. Pollinators are more available in early spring.
  3. Light is a limiting factor later in the summer.
  4. Fewer insect herbivores are active in the early spring.
Explanation
Correct Response: C. The production of flowers and seeds requires relatively large amounts of energy, and after the shrub and tree leaf canopy has developed in the summer, the amount of sunlight on the forest floor is greatly reduced. Thus there is a strong energetic advantage to reproduce before the leaf canopy develops. Temperatures are higher during the summer (A), but these do not provide the energy required for reproduction. Fewer pollinators are active during the spring (B), and although there are fewer insect herbivores in the spring (D), this is not the primary reason for the frequency of early spring-blooming forest floor flowers.
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