Brazil nuts (Bertholletia excelsa) are tall canopy trees that make up a large portion of the Amazon rain forest. They produce large grapefruit-sized seedpods. The agouti, a ground-dwelling rodent, has teeth strong enough to open the tough seedpods. While the agouti eats some of the tree's seeds, it also buries caches in various spots on the rain forest floor. Why is the agouti important to the rain forest ecosystem? a) It eats and disperses the trees' seeds. b) It cleans the rain forest floor of debris, allowing for easier motility. c) It eats the trees' excess seeds and prevents other animals from doing so. d) It prevents the trees' seeds from rotting on the rain forest floor.

Question

Alaina Bautista

Biology

12 June, 12:06

Brazil nuts (Bertholletia excelsa) are tall canopy trees that make up a large portion of the Amazon rain forest. They produce large grapefruit-sized seedpods. The agouti, a ground-dwelling rodent, has teeth strong enough to open the tough seedpods. While the agouti eats some of the tree's seeds, it also buries caches in various spots on the rain forest floor. Why is the agouti important to the rain forest ecosystem? a) It eats and disperses the trees' seeds. b) It cleans the rain forest floor of debris, allowing for easier motility. c) It eats the trees' excess seeds and prevents other animals from doing so. d) It prevents the trees' seeds from rotting on the rain forest floor.

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Answers (1)

Know the Answer?

Darren Pollard · Answer 1

Answer: Option A

Explanation:

Brazil nuts are tall canopy trees have nuts as their fruit. The rodent agouti feeds on these seeds as their food.

They crack the seed and eat the fruit and extra food is hidden inside the soil and most of time they forget where they hide the seed.

Over the time the seeds germinate and grows into large trees. They are are very important for the dispersal of the seeds in the rain forest.

Hence, the correct answer is option A.