What term describes the permanent disappearance of a species from a local area?

• A. Pioneer species
• B. Invasive species
• C. Mutualism
• D. Extinction

Answer: (D)

The key idea is distinguishing local loss from global loss. When a species disappears permanently from a specific area but still exists elsewhere, that is called extirpation, or local extinction. The population is gone from that local habitat, but the species continues in other parts of its range. In contrast, extinction means there are no individuals left anywhere in the world.

So for a question describing the permanent disappearance from a local area, the precise term is extirpation. Extinction would apply only if the species had vanished globally. The other options don’t fit: pioneer species are the first organisms to colonize a new habitat; invasive species are non-native organisms that spread and potentially disrupt ecosystems; mutualism is a type of beneficial interaction between species.