Researchers at Auburn University have put forth a new paper that suggests a global correlation between habitat loss and the emergence of infectious diseases. The team’s hypothesis is called the coevolution effect, and it attempts to explain why diseases are more likely to transfer from wildlife to humans in deforested habitats. The theory hinges on the idea that as human activity changes the landscape, the leftover “forest fragments" essentially become their own islands and disease-carrying microbes hosted there experience diversification, which paves the way for outbreaks of disease in humans.Which finding, if true, would most directly support the researchers’ hypothesis?Another team of researchers conducted a study that correlated the increase of microbes in a given area to the rise of various kinds of vegetation.eliminateA new human disease’s outbreak was traced back to an area surrounded by deforested land and many forest fragments.eliminateAn overall decrease in deforestation led to an overall increase in disease outbreaks in humans. eliminateWildlife activists have identified multiple possible reasons for the emergence of infectious diseases that do not relate to habitat loss.

Question No. 18 What is the main point which the author intends to convey through the passage? Consuming wildlife is the primary reason for the spread of diseases.  A globalized network of travel and trade is detrimental to the well-being of humans.  Abuse of nature and wildlife by humans, which is largely responsible for the spread of viruses, should be stopped.  Our approach to check the spread of viral outbreaks is flawed.

Introduced disease-causing organisms are especially dangerous to new environments because they can destroy the non-native host. This happens because the disease-causing organismsMultiple Choicehave not evolved with this host to achieve the normal balance for long-term survival.are opportunists and in order to survive must out-compete all other species.are specialists and destroy the individual organisms that have not developed resistance.do not have natural predators.are generalists and highly competitive.

Habitat loss may result to biodiversity loss.Group of answer choicesTrueFalse

The idea that diversity in isolated habitats depends on rates of colonization and extinction is part of the equilibrium theory of biogeography.

Viruses regularly move between animals and humans. In rare but dangerous cases, a virus may undergo a genetic change that increases its risk of causing serious disease in human populations. Which of the following changes in human/animal interactions would be most likely to increase the risk of human harm due to virus exposure?A.Areas that are natural and untouched by humans have increased over the past few hundred years, decreasing the potential for human exposure to animal viruses.B.Humans now raise large numbers of animals for food.C.The diversity of animals around the world has been increasing rapidly due to human activity such as deforestation and agricultural land development.D.Humans now have more pets than they had historically.