Passage I

The termite Reticulitermes flavipes consumes wood and bark. A study examined whether the consumption of wood or bark mulch by R. flavipes varies with the type of mulch or the age of the mulch. Separate portion of each of 5 types of mulch were aged (allowed to decay) for 1, 24, and 48 weeks. Then, 2 g of each type of 1-week-old mulch were put into a box, 2 g of each type of 24-week-old mulch were put into a second box, and 2 g of each type of 48-week-old mulch were put into a third box. Next, 1 g of R. flavipes was added to each box. After 15 days, the mass of mulch consumed, in milligrams (mg), was determined for each type and age of mulch (see figure).