medium · SAT Reading & Writing

Ecologists studying a wildlife preserve hypothesize that expanding the acreage of restored wetland habitat leads to greater bird species diversity. At five restoration sites of different sizes, they recorded the number of distinct bird species observed over one nesting season: Restored Wetland Acreage: Bird Species Observed 120 acres: 38 species 185 acres: 45 species 240 acres: 52 species 310 acres: 59 species 400 acres: 61 species Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to support the ecologists' hypothesis?

1. The data prove that restoring wetland acreage at any location will double the number of bird species present within a preserve.
2. As restored wetland acreage rose from 120 to 400 acres, bird species observed rose from 38 to 61, showing larger sites had greater bird diversity across all five sites.
3. The ecologists surveyed bird species at five restoration sites, ranging in size from 120 acres to 400 acres, over the course of one nesting season.
4. The data show that the 120-acre site had 45 bird species, more than the 38 species recorded at the larger 185-acre site, indicating that additional wetland acreage decreased species diversity.

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