"Butterflies are disappearing in Ohio. Here’s what that means for insects everywhere" by Vicky Stein The decline of Ohio’s butterflies has been captured through statistics and recorded data rather than anecdotes, but the scientific literature abounds with anecdotes as well. One recent article from experienced researchers Daniel Janzen and Winnie Hallwachs, a pair who have studied tropical ecology in Mexico and Central America for half a century, warns that insects around the world are in the midst of a “gradual and very visible decline.” The solution to a worldwide insect decline won’t be simple. “If it was just one thing, we would know how to fix it,” Moreau said. “But I think of the situation as, like, death by a thousand cuts.” Habitat loss, the use of pesticides on huge swaths of cropland, and climate change all contribute to the disruption of natural systems, and the researchers believe any solution to a general decline in insects will need to address all three.

Question

Use the excerpt from “Butterflies are disappearing in Ohio. Here’s what that means for insects everywhere” to answer the question. What idea from the first two paragraphs does the third paragraph support?

A. “The decline of Ohio’s butterflies has been captured through statistics and recorded data”
B. “Daniel Janzen and Winnie Hallwachs have studied tropical ecology in Mexico and Central America for half a century”
C. “the scientific literature abounds with anecdotes
D. “The solution to a worldwide insect decline won’t be simple.”

Answer 1

The idea from the first two paragraphs that the third paragraph supports is:

D. “The solution to a worldwide insect decline won’t be simple.”

The third paragraph elaborates on the complexity of addressing the decline in insects, highlighting multiple contributing factors such as habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change.