The pine borer beetle is a parasite to the pine tree. what would most likely happen to the pine tree population if the beetle population decreased?
decrease
increase
become extinct
stay the same

The correct answer is (b) Increase

Pines trees are infected by different insects during the adverse and stressed environmental condition. Pine borer beetle is pest that infect pine tree during the stressed condition due to lack of water in that area. In healthy condition pines can kill these insects but in stressed condition insect will effect the plant so if the number of beetle will decrease, the population of pines will increase in that area.

The correct answer would be "increase".

Parasitism (+/-) is a type of ecological relationship in which one organism lives on or in another organism to get its nutrition. It causes harm or may even kill another organism.

In this scenario, if the population of the parasite (pine borer beetle) decreases, then it would decrease harm and destruction of pine trees.

Hence, the population of pine trees would increase.