How many of the following statements are correct? (A) The prickly pear cactus introduced into Australia in the early 1920s was brought under control by a cactus-feeding predator moth. (B) In the rocky intertidal communities of the American Pacific coast, removal of the starfish Pisaster resulted in the extinction of more than 10 species of invertebrates due to interspecific competition. (C) Cuscuta, a parasitic plant

Step-by-step solution

Statement (A) is correct. Predators act as biological control agents, as seen with the prickly pear cactus and its predator moth. Statement (B) is correct. Predators help maintain species diversity by reducing the intensity of interspecific competition among competing prey species. Removal of Pisaster caused the extinction of invertebrate species due to increased competition. Statement (C) is correct. Parasites evolve special adaptations such as the loss of unnecessary sense organs or photosynthetic ability. Cuscut