Question
Events that occur in four different ecosystems are shown in the chart. ECOSYSTEMS Ecosystem Events A A severe ice storm occurs during the winter, damaging trees and shrubs. No ice storms occur for the next twenty years. B A severe drought causes most of the leaves to fall from the trees during a single summer. There are no serious droughts for the next twenty years. C An island with a dense shrub population becomes submerged for three years. When the river water lowers, the island does not become submerged again for the next twenty years. D A fire burns through a large grassy area. Fires do not occur in the area for the next twenty years. Which ecosystem would require the longest period of time to return to its original state? a Ecosystem A b Ecosystem B c Ecosystem C d Ecosystem D
Answers
GPT-4o mini
To determine which ecosystem would require the longest period of time to return to its original state, we need to consider the nature of the disturbances and the resilience of each ecosystem.
- **Ecosystem A**: A severe ice storm damages trees and shrubs. While this damage can take time to heal, trees may begin to recover relatively quickly, though it could take years for the full recovery to restore the ecosystem.
- **Ecosystem B**: A severe drought causes leaves to fall from trees. The impact of droughts can vary widely, but once the conditions improve, trees can typically regrow their leaves in the following seasons, although long-term drought can have lasting effects on tree health.
- **Ecosystem C**: An island becomes submerged for three years. The ecosystems in wetlands or islands often take a long time to recover from such submersion, particularly as the hydrology changes, which may consequently alter the types of vegetation and wildlife present.
- **Ecosystem D**: A fire burns through a grassy area. Grasslands can often recover quickly from fires due to the resilience of grass species, and many are adapted to using fire as a means of regeneration.
Based on these observations, Ecosystem C, which is submerged for three years, would likely take the longest to recover to its original state due to the potentially extensive changes in the ecosystem caused by prolonged submersion. Therefore, the answer is:
**c Ecosystem C.**
- **Ecosystem A**: A severe ice storm damages trees and shrubs. While this damage can take time to heal, trees may begin to recover relatively quickly, though it could take years for the full recovery to restore the ecosystem.
- **Ecosystem B**: A severe drought causes leaves to fall from trees. The impact of droughts can vary widely, but once the conditions improve, trees can typically regrow their leaves in the following seasons, although long-term drought can have lasting effects on tree health.
- **Ecosystem C**: An island becomes submerged for three years. The ecosystems in wetlands or islands often take a long time to recover from such submersion, particularly as the hydrology changes, which may consequently alter the types of vegetation and wildlife present.
- **Ecosystem D**: A fire burns through a grassy area. Grasslands can often recover quickly from fires due to the resilience of grass species, and many are adapted to using fire as a means of regeneration.
Based on these observations, Ecosystem C, which is submerged for three years, would likely take the longest to recover to its original state due to the potentially extensive changes in the ecosystem caused by prolonged submersion. Therefore, the answer is:
**c Ecosystem C.**