Bird Nesting Box Occupancy Rates in a Wildlife Preserve by Habitat TypeHabitat TypePercentage of nesting boxes occupiedGrassland34%Mixed forest41%Pine...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Bird Nesting Box Occupancy Rates in a Wildlife Preserve by Habitat Type
| Habitat Type | Percentage of nesting boxes occupied |
|---|---|
| Grassland | 34% |
| Mixed forest | 41% |
| Pine forest | 38% |
| Wetland edge | 45% |
| Oak woodland | 52% |
A researcher studying bird conservation in a wildlife preserve is analyzing nesting box usage across different habitats. The research indicates that while nesting box programs show promise, the maximum occupancy rate achieved in any habitat type was only ______
Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to complete the researcher's claim?
\(52\%\).
\(34\%\).
\(45\%\).
\(38\%\).
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Bird Nesting Box Occupancy Rates in a Wildlife Preserve by Habitat Type" |
|
| Table showing 5 habitat types with occupancy percentages: Grassland (34%), Mixed forest (41%), Pine forest (38%), Wetland edge (45%), Oak woodland (52%) |
|
| "A researcher studying bird conservation in a wildlife preserve is analyzing nesting box usage across different habitats." |
|
| "The research indicates that while nesting box programs show promise, the maximum occupancy rate achieved in any habitat type was only __**_" |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Research shows nesting box programs are promising, but even the best habitat achieved only a modest maximum occupancy rate.
Argument Flow: The passage presents occupancy data across five habitat types, then contextualizes this within a researcher's conservation work, leading to a claim that contrasts the program's promise with the reality of limited occupancy rates, requiring the maximum percentage to complete the thought.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- Looking at the occupancy rates, they range from 34% to 52%
- Since the claim asks for "the maximum occupancy rate achieved in any habitat type," we need the highest percentage from the data table
- From our data, Oak woodland achieved 52%, which is clearly the highest rate among all five habitat types
- So the right answer should be 52%
\(52\%\).
✓ Correct
- Correct - \(52\%\) is the highest occupancy rate in the table (Oak woodland) and directly answers what "maximum occupancy rate achieved" means
\(34\%\).
✗ Incorrect
- Incorrect - \(34\%\) is the lowest occupancy rate (Grassland), not the maximum
- This represents a trap where students might misread "maximum" as "minimum"
\(45\%\).
✗ Incorrect
- Incorrect - \(45\%\) is from Wetland edge, but not the highest rate available
- This trap catches students who pick a high-seeming number without carefully comparing all values
\(38\%\).
✗ Incorrect
- Incorrect - \(38\%\) is from Pine forest, which represents a middle-range value that doesn't fulfill the "maximum" requirement of the claim