Thrips are insects that feed on rose pollen. Scientists noted that the thrips population
increased in the spring and decreased dramatically
during the summer. The researchers hypothesized
that food abundance was the limiting factor for
the population. Which of the following types of
data would be most useful for the scientists to
collect at regular intervals on a designated test
plot of rose plants?
(A) Amount of sunlight (hours/day)
(B) Mean temperature (°C)
(C) Density of rose pollen produced (g/m²)
(D) Amount of pollen produced by each
flower (g/flower)