Effect of Neighboring Species on Pollinator Visits to Target SpeciesNeighboring speciesTarget speciesEffect valueVirginia spring beautystar chickweed0...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
| Neighboring species | Target species | Effect value |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia spring beauty | star chickweed | 0.4853 |
| Himalayan balsam | marsh woundwort | 0.7905 |
| common dandelion | cat's ear | −0.6254 |
Researchers Carolina Laura Morales and Anna Traveset gathered data about flowering plants growing alongside each other in various locations. In each case, the researchers identified one plant as a 'target species' and a nearby plant as a 'neighboring species.' The researchers then calculated a positive or negative value to show how the neighboring species affected pollinator visits to the target species. One example of a neighboring species with a negative effect value is the ______
Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to complete the example?
Himalayan balsam.
common dandelion.
star chickweed.
Virginia spring beauty.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Researchers Carolina Laura Morales and Anna Traveset gathered data about flowering plants growing alongside each other in various locations." |
|
| "In each case, the researchers identified one plant as a 'target species' and a nearby plant as a 'neighboring species.'" |
|
| "The researchers then calculated a positive or negative value to show how the neighboring species affected pollinator visits to the target species." |
|
| Table data: Virginia spring beauty → star chickweed (0.4853) |
|
| Table data: Himalayan balsam → marsh woundwort (0.7905) |
|
| Table data: common dandelion → cat's ear (-0.6254) |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Researchers studied how neighboring plant species affect pollinator visits to target species, measuring these effects with positive and negative values.
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 data, we need to identify which neighboring species has a negative effect value:
- Virginia spring beauty has +0.4853 (positive)
- Himalayan balsam has +0.7905 (positive)
- Common dandelion has -0.6254 (negative)
- The answer should be common dandelion, since it's the only neighboring species with a negative effect value.
Himalayan balsam.
✗ Incorrect
- Himalayan balsam is a neighboring species but has a positive effect value \(+0.7905\)
- This contradicts the requirement for a negative effect value
common dandelion.
✓ Correct
- Common dandelion is a neighboring species with effect value \(-0.6254\)
- This perfectly matches the requirement for a neighboring species with negative effect
star chickweed.
✗ Incorrect
- Star chickweed appears as a target species, not a neighboring species
- The question asks specifically for a neighboring species
Virginia spring beauty.
✗ Incorrect
- Virginia spring beauty is a neighboring species but has positive effect value \(+0.4853\)
- This contradicts the requirement for a negative effect value