A state was planning to construct several hundred miles of a new railway in an area that was currently the habitat of various plant and animal populations. During the planning stage, the state officials asked two scientists to create plans to reduce the impact of the railway construction on the biodiversity of the area. The two plans are described below.

Question

Plans for Maintaining Biodiversity in an Area Proposed for Railway Construction

Plan Plan Highlights
Plan A
Perform a wildlife survey to determine the best locations for construction based on the presence of endangered or threatened species.

Start construction of aboveground rail tracks in selected locations; as the construction proceeds, create wildlife corridors that help connect divided animal populations to maintain genetic diversity in the region.

After the construction is complete, replant with native plants along cleared construction areas where possible.

Continue to monitor the area for changes in populations and form new action plans as needed.

Approximate cost of plan: $5 billion.
Plan B
Perform a wildlife survey to determine the best locations for construction based on the presence of endangered or threatened species.

Dig large underground tunnels in selected areas where all of the rail tracks will be constructed.

Line tunnels with concrete to provide stability, construct rail tracks, and then cover the disrupted areas with soil and native plants so that the habitat is only minimally impacted by the presence of underground railways.

Continue to monitor the area for changes in populations and form new action plans as needed.

Approximate cost of plan: $30 billion.

State officials decided to go with plan B. Why did the state officials probably choose plan B?
A.
Plan B will limit habitat disruption better than plan A.
B.
The economic demands of plan B will be lower than those of plan A.
C.
The construction time will be less for plan B than for plan A.
D.
Plan B will require fewer materials for construction than plan A.

Answer 1

The state officials probably chose plan B because:

A. Plan B will limit habitat disruption better than plan A.

Plan B involves constructing underground tunnels which minimizes the impact on the surface habitat compared to aboveground construction in Plan A. Despite the higher cost of Plan B, the reduced disruption to wildlife habitats and the potential for better preservation of biodiversity would be a compelling reason for state officials to select it. Other options (B, C, D) do not align with the descriptions of the plans given, as plan B is more costly (B), could potentially take longer to construct (C), and likely would require more materials (D).