Question

read the passage. then answer the question below.
giant kelp is one of the largest species of seaweed. forests of giant kelp grow in the cold, clear water off california. kelp forests provide shelter for many organisms.
garibaldi fish defend territories at the base of kelp stalks. purple sea urchins live on the rocks that cover the seafloor. california sea otters float on the surface, resting as they hold onto kelp fronds to stay in one place.
in a california kelp forest, the garibaldi, the purple sea urchins, and the rocks make up which of the following? select all that apply.
a population
part of a community
part of an ecosystem

Explanation:

1. Population: A population is a group of individuals of the same species. Here, garibaldi, purple sea urchins are different species, and rocks are non - living, so they can't be a population.
2. Community: A community consists of all the different populations (species) in a given area. Garibaldi (a fish species), purple sea urchins (a sea urchin species), and the rocks (along with other organisms and non - living components) - the living organisms here (garibaldi and purple sea urchins) along with the non - living rocks are part of the community (since community includes all biotic components, and here we have two biotic species and a non - living component which is part of the environment for the community).
3. Ecosystem: An ecosystem includes all the biotic (living) and abiotic (non - living) components in a given area. Garibaldi (biotic), purple sea urchins (biotic), and rocks (abiotic) are all part of the California kelp forest ecosystem.

Answer:

• part of a community
• part of an ecosystem