Degraded wetlands often struggle to support biodiversity due to factors such as invasive plant species, poor water quality, and disrupted...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Degraded wetlands often struggle to support biodiversity due to factors such as invasive plant species, poor water quality, and disrupted nutrient cycles. In a research study, ecologists Jennifer Wu and Carlos Martinez from the University of California claim that introducing native mycorrhizal fungi to degraded wetland sites accelerates ecosystem recovery and enhances habitat quality.
Which finding from Wu and Martinez's research, if true, would best explain the biological mechanism underlying their claim?
Wetland sites treated with mycorrhizal fungi showed measurable improvements in three key indicators: species diversity, water clarity, and soil nutrient availability.
The introduced fungi formed symbiotic networks with native plant roots, facilitating enhanced nutrient exchange and enabling plants to outcompete invasive species while filtering water more effectively.
Analysis of treated sites revealed that mycorrhizal fungi populations remained stable throughout the study period and showed no decline in activity levels.
Both treated and untreated wetland sites demonstrated natural seasonal variations in plant growth patterns and water quality measurements.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Degraded wetlands often struggle to support biodiversity due to factors such as invasive plant species, poor water quality, and disrupted nutrient cycles." |
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| "In a research study, ecologists Jennifer Wu and Carlos Martinez from the University of California claim that introducing native mycorrhizal fungi to degraded wetland sites accelerates ecosystem recovery and enhances habitat quality." |
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Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Visual Structure Map:
[PROBLEM] Degraded wetlands struggle with biodiversity
[PROPOSED SOLUTION] Wu & Martinez claim: native mycorrhizal fungi leads to faster recovery
Main Point: Wu and Martinez claim that introducing native mycorrhizal fungi can help degraded wetlands recover faster and improve habitat quality.
Argument Flow: The passage first establishes that degraded wetlands have biodiversity problems due to invasive species, poor water quality, and disrupted nutrients. Then it presents Wu and Martinez research claim that native mycorrhizal fungi could be a solution to accelerate recovery.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? Which research finding would best explain the biological mechanism behind Wu and Martinez claim
What type of answer do we need? Evidence that shows HOW the fungi actually work to help wetland recovery
Any limiting keywords? "biological mechanism" is key - we need to understand the process, not just results
Question Characterization:
- Content Genre: Sciences
- Content Format: Text-only
- Question Type: Strengthen / Weaken
- Language Complexity: Moderate
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The correct answer needs to explain HOW mycorrhizal fungi actually help wetland recovery work at a biological level
- We know the claim is that these fungi accelerate recovery and enhance habitat quality, but we need the mechanism - what biological processes make this happen?
- The right answer should describe the specific biological interactions between the fungi and the wetland ecosystem that would address the original problems (invasive species, poor water quality, disrupted nutrients)
- The right answer should explain the biological process by which fungi interact with the ecosystem to solve these wetland problems
Wetland sites treated with mycorrhizal fungi showed measurable improvements in three key indicators: species diversity, water clarity, and soil nutrient availability.
✗ Incorrect
- Shows that the fungi treatment worked (improvements in diversity, water clarity, nutrients)
- But this just confirms the claim happened - doesn't explain HOW it happened biologically
- What trap this represents: Students might think showing results is the same as explaining mechanism
The introduced fungi formed symbiotic networks with native plant roots, facilitating enhanced nutrient exchange and enabling plants to outcompete invasive species while filtering water more effectively.
✓ Correct
- Explains the actual biological mechanism: fungi form symbiotic networks with plant roots
- Shows how this mechanism addresses the original problems: enhanced nutrient exchange helps plants outcompete invasives, while also filtering water more effectively
- This directly explains HOW the fungi work biologically to cause the recovery Wu and Martinez claimed
Analysis of treated sites revealed that mycorrhizal fungi populations remained stable throughout the study period and showed no decline in activity levels.
✗ Incorrect
- Shows the fungi stayed stable during the study period
- But stability of the fungi population doesn't explain how they help recovery
- Missing the biological mechanism entirely
Both treated and untreated wetland sites demonstrated natural seasonal variations in plant growth patterns and water quality measurements.
✗ Incorrect
- Shows no difference between treated and untreated sites in natural variations
- Actually suggests the treatment might not be working, which contradicts the claim
- Doesn't provide any biological mechanism