Let's carefully analyze the problem and determine the correct answer.
We have the population of a native species over three years:
- Year 1: 7,950
- Year 2: 3,460
- Year 3: 1,380
To find the percent decrease in population between two consecutive years, we use the formula for percent decrease:
[tex]\[ \text{Percent Decrease} = \left( \frac{\text{Initial Population} - \text{Final Population}}{\text{Initial Population}} \right) \times 100 \][/tex]
### Step-by-Step Solution:
1. Calculating the percent decrease from Year 1 to Year 2:
- Initial Population (Year 1): 7,950
- Final Population (Year 2): 3,460
[tex]\[
\text{Percent Decrease}_{1 \to 2} = \left( \frac{7950 - 3460}{7950} \right) \times 100
\][/tex]
- This results in approximately 56.5%.
2. Calculating the percent decrease from Year 2 to Year 3:
- Initial Population (Year 2): 3,460
- Final Population (Year 3): 1,380
[tex]\[
\text{Percent Decrease}_{2 \to 3} = \left( \frac{3460 - 1380}{3460} \right) \times 100
\][/tex]
- This results in approximately 60.1%.
### Conclusion:
By performing these calculations, we verified that the percent decrease in the native species population are:
- From Year 1 to Year 2: 56.5%
- From Year 2 to Year 3: 60.1%
Therefore, the correct answer is:
B. [tex]$56.5 \%$[/tex] and [tex]$60.1 \%$[/tex]
