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Difficulty: MediumSingle-Sentence Inferences

Read the following sentence regarding historical forest ecology:

"While early twentieth-century silviculturists asserted that the rapid decline of old-growth oak stands in the Baltic basin was driven primarily by overharvesting for naval shipbuilding, recent dendrochronological analysis reveals that severe decadal drought cycles in the late seventeenth century had already compromised root systems, rendering these stands uniquely susceptible to fungal pathogens prior to the onset of intensive timber extraction."

Which of the following inferences regarding the decline of Baltic oak stands is most strongly supported by the statement above?

  1. The vulnerability of Baltic oak stands to fungal pathogens was heightened by environmental stress experienced prior to the expansion of intensive timber harvesting.Answer
  2. B
    Intensive timber harvesting for naval construction posed a greater long-term ecological threat to Scandinavian forests than to Baltic basin oak stands.
  3. C
    Late seventeenth-century dendrochronological records confirm that naval shipbuilding was the primary driver of oak depletion, validating early silvicultural theories.
  4. D
    Twentieth-century silviculturists maintained that fungal pathogens, rather than drought, were responsible for compromising the root structures of Baltic oaks.
  5. E
    Timber extraction had absolutely no impact on the overall decline of Baltic oak stands compared to the devastating effects of fungal pathogens.

Answer

The vulnerability of Baltic oak stands to fungal pathogens was heightened by environmental stress experienced prior to the expansion of intensive timber harvesting.
The sentence specifies that drought cycles in the late seventeenth century compromised root systems and rendered oak stands uniquely susceptible to fungal pathogens prior to the onset of intensive timber extraction. This directly supports the conclusion that environmental stress occurring before expanded harvesting heightened the trees' vulnerability to pathogens.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the logical structure of the target sentence.
The sentence contrasts an older view (silviculturists claiming shipbuilding overharvesting was the main cause) with recent dendrochronological evidence.
Identifying the main clause clarifies what the author actually asserts as factual.
2
Examine the specific temporal and causal sequence presented in the evidence.
Late 17th-century drought cycles -> compromised root systems -> made trees susceptible to pathogens -> occurred prior to intensive timber extraction.
Evaluating pre-existing conditions confirms how drought stress preceded and enabled fungal vulnerability.
3
Match the sequence to the correct inference.
The statement directly supports that pre-harvesting environmental stress (drought) increased susceptibility (vulnerability) to pathogens.
A valid GMAT single-sentence inference must rely strictly on stated facts without external assumptions.

Key Concept

Single-Sentence Logical Inference
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Topics

Single-Sentence Inferences

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