Question

the tropical hardwood forest ecosystem in everglades national park is home to many types of plants and animals. a conservationist group measured the amount of plant life in a 100 - acre area of hardwood forest in the park for one year. the graph below shows the data. the dotted line represents when a wildfire swept through the forest. one of the animals that lives in this region is the white - tailed deer, which is an herbivore. how did the carrying capacity of deer in this area right after the fire compare to the carrying capacity before the fire? the carrying capacity was higher after the fire due to more sunlight reaching the ground. the carrying capacity stayed the same because carrying capacity cannot change. the carrying capacity was lower after the fire due to decreased availability of food. the carrying capacity was higher after the fire due to the increase in available habitats.

Explanation:

A fire can change the availability of food and habitats for deer. After a fire, more sunlight can reach the ground which may lead to growth of new plants that the deer can eat. This increases available food and habitats, thus increasing the carrying - capacity of deer.

Answer:

The carrying capacity of deer in this area was higher after the fire due to the increase in available habitats.