To determine which claim best explains the changes in the porcupine population over time given the increased rainfall in 2012 and 2013, let's examine the given data and the corresponding claims.
### Data Analysis:
We have the following data points for the porcupine population over the years:
- 1985: 143 individuals
- 1995: 152 individuals
- 2005: 150 individuals
- 2015: 260 individuals
- 2022: 148 individuals
From this, we can make several observations:
1. Increasing Trend: Between 1985 and 1995, the population slightly increases.
2. Stability: From 1995 to 2005, the population remains relatively stable.
3. Spike: There is a significant increase in population from 2005 to 2015.
4. Decline: By 2022, the population drops sharply.
### Rainfall Events:
The increased rainfall in 2012 and 2013 could have various impacts on the ecosystem which, in turn, affect porcupine populations. Rainfall can influence vegetation growth, food and water availability, and overall habitat conditions.
### Claims:
- Claim A: The increase in rainfall caused the ecosystem to become more conducive to porcupine habitation, initially.
- Claim B: The sudden increase in population may have led to a subsequent crash due to overpopulation or resource depletion.
- Claim C: The fluctuation in population could be due to natural cycles or other environmental factors not mentioned.
### Evaluation of Claims:
Claim A suggests that rainfall improved the ecosystem conditions initially, which could explain the sharp increase in population up to 2015. However, it does not explain the subsequent decline.
Claim B indicates that the increase in porcupine population could have led to overpopulation, depleting resources, which eventually caused a decline. This explanation fits well with the timeline, as the population peaks in 2015 after the increased rainfall and then declines by 2022, possibly due to factors like overpopulation, resource depletion, increased predation, or disease.
Claim C proposes that natural cycles or other factors could explain the fluctuations. While this is a general possibility, it does not provide a specific cause-effect relationship based on the given data and increased rainfall context.
### Conclusion:
Claim B is the most plausible explanation for the given data. It suggests that the initial increase in population may have been beneficial due to improved ecological conditions, but it eventually led to a decline due to overpopulation or resource limitations.
Thus, the best explanation among the provided claims is:
B. The sudden increase in population may have led to a subsequent crash due to overpopulation or resource depletion.
