You have studied the story of Peppered moths in England. Had the industries been removed, what impact would it have had on the moth population? Discuss.

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(A) In the population of the Peppered moth $(Biston \text{ } betularia)$, two variants existed: the light-colored (grey) and the dark-colored (melanic/black).
Before industrialization $(1850)$, the light-colored moths were prevalent because they blended well with the lichen-covered tree trunks, providing effective camouflage against predators.
The dark-colored moths were easily spotted and preyed upon, keeping their numbers very low.
With industrialization $(1920)$, tree trunks became covered with black soot, which killed the lichens. This provided better camouflage for the dark-colored variant, leading to an increase in their population.
If the industries had been removed, the environment would have gradually returned to its pre-industrial state (lichens would have regrown). Consequently, the dark-colored moths would have lost their camouflage advantage, become more visible to predators, and their population would have declined, while the light-colored moths would have regained their selective advantage.

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