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Q1.8. You have been asked to use your modeling skills to make recommendations fo

ID: 281124 • Letter: Q

Question

Q1.8. You have been asked to use your modeling skills to make recommendations for how to increase the population size of a threatened leafhopper species. You build a simulation with two key parameters, A and B. You conduct a sensitivity analysis by systematically varying the two parameters' values. Results are shown below. If the field ecologists have only sufficient resources to evaluate one of these parameters in the real world, which do you recommend they target as more important? 3 100 100 s 75 s 75 25 25 0 0.15 0.4 Parameter A 0.05 0.1 Parameter B 0.2 0.6 Parameter A is more important to evaluate Parameter B is more important to evaluate Both parameters are equally important to evaluate Neither parameter warrants any further evaluation

Explanation / Answer

The correct answer will be

Parameter B is more important to evaluate.

As model is testing the effects of two parameters on population size of endangered/threatened leafhopper species, the parameter which shows greater variation in population size should be considered more for evaluation. This way the model may be useful to predict the way to increase the population of the threatened species. Thus, parameter B will be the coorect choice.