When white pine seeds are blown by wind into an open field, young pine trees grow wherever the seeds land.As the pine trees get larger, they begin crowding each other and competing for space and light.Many pine trees die, and those that live are each located at a distance from their nearest neighbors.Which statement is the best description of the dispersion pattern of a white pine population over time?
A) The trees will be clumped at all ages.
B) The trees will be regularly spaced at all ages.
C) The trees will be clumped when young and randomly spaced when older.
D) The trees will be randomly spaced when young and clumped when older.
E) The trees will be randomly spaced when young and regularly spaced when older.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Initially, the seeds are dispersed randomly by the wind, leading to random spacing of young trees. As they grow and compete for resources, weaker trees die off, resulting in the surviving trees being more evenly spaced out, hence regularly spaced when older.

When White Pine Seeds Are Blown by Wind into an Open