The writer wants to organize the sentences below to logically trace the cause-and-effect sequence of the trophic cascade in Yellowstone National Park following the reintroduction of wolves. Arrange the sentences in the most logical order.
- 1In 1995, gray wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park after a seventy-year absence, immediately establishing themselves as the park's apex predators.
- 2To avoid these newly active predators, elk herds began spending less time in open valleys and gorges, where they were highly vulnerable to attack.
- 3This behavioral shift allowed heavily overgrazed willow, aspen, and cottonwood saplings in those areas to regenerate and grow to full height.
- 4Consequently, the thriving streamside vegetation attracted songbirds and beavers, who used the new trees to build dams and create habitats for fish.
Answer
The most logical order is: first, the sentence introducing the reintroduction of gray wolves; second, the sentence describing how elk altered their behavior to avoid the wolves; third, the sentence detailing the recovery of trees resulting from this behavioral shift; and fourth, the sentence explaining how the thriving vegetation attracted songbirds and beavers.
The correct order follows a clear chronological and logical cause-and-effect sequence: the reintroduction of wolves (the cause) leads to a shift in elk behavior (first effect), which allows the overgrazed vegetation to recover (second effect), which ultimately attracts songbirds and beavers to the ecosystem (third effect). Transition words and demonstrative adjectives ('these newly active predators', 'This behavioral shift', and 'Consequently') perfectly link each sentence to the one preceding it.
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