If Burmese pythons drastically increased in number and inhabited many locations across the Florida Everglades, what effect would this have on biodiversity? A) Biodiversity would become stable B) Biodiversity would decrease C) Biodiversity would increase D) Biodiversity would remain unaffected

What the question is really asking

You are predicting how a widespread invasive predator would change the number and variety of native species (biodiversity) across the Everglades.

What happens when Burmese pythons spread

Burmese pythons are not native to the Everglades, and they hunt many different prey species. If their numbers rise and they occupy many more habitats:

• More native animals get eaten (especially mammals and ground nesting birds).
• Some prey populations can crash, and a few may disappear from certain areas (local extinction).

Why that lowers biodiversity

Biodiversity often includes species richness (how many species are present) and how balanced populations are.

• When multiple native species decline or vanish, species richness drops.
• Food webs become simpler because fewer prey species support fewer predators and scavengers. So the overall biodiversity across those environments decreases.

Eliminating the other options

• A (stable): Invasions usually create instability at first because population balances are disrupted.
• C (increase): Adding an invasive predator typically removes native species faster than it adds new ones.
• D (unaffected): A major new predator pressure changes population sizes and community structure, so it will not stay the same.