Question

read the passage. then answer the question below.
more than 15 million mexican free - tailed bats live in bracken cave in texas. every night at sunset, the bats leave the cave to find food. they eat flying insects such as moths, flies, and wasps.
when so many bats live together in one cave, they produce a lot of bat feces, or guano. the guano builds up on the cave floor and provides food for fungus and bacteria. the fungus and bacteria are eaten by millipedes and other small crawling insects. these small insects are eaten by larger organisms, such as centipedes, spiders, and salamanders.
in bracken cave in texas, the mexican free - tailed bats make up which of the following? select all that apply.
a population
part of a community
part of an ecosystem

Explanation:

1. For "a population": A population is a group of individuals of the same species living in a particular area. Here, more than 15 million Mexican free - tailed bats (same species) live in Bracken Cave, so they form a population.
2. For "part of a community": A community consists of all the different populations of species living and interacting in a particular area. The bats interact with other organisms like fungus, bacteria, millipedes, etc. in the cave, so they are part of the community.
3. For "part of an ecosystem": An ecosystem includes all the living (biotic) components (like the bats, other organisms) and the non - living (abiotic) components (like the cave environment, guano) in a particular area. The bats are part of the biotic component of the Bracken Cave ecosystem.

Answer:

a population, part of a community, part of an ecosystem