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Difficulty: MediumLogical Inferences

In botany, the phenomenon of 'foliar water uptake' (FWU) allows plants in arid environments to absorb water directly from fog or dew through their leaves. While FWU is crucial during dry periods, researchers hypothesized that it might carry a hidden cost by facilitating the entry of foliar pathogens. To test this, botanists examined several species of desert shrubs, exposing some to simulated fog containing common bacterial pathogens and others to dry conditions. They found that shrubs subjected to high-humidity fog exhibited significantly higher rates of pathogen infection, but only when their stomata were fully open. Which choice most logically completes the text?

  1. A
    foliar water uptake is generally disadvantageous to the survival of desert shrubs in arid regions.
  2. B
    desert shrubs will likely evolve to close their stomata permanently during fog events to prevent all bacterial infections.
  3. exposure to pathogen-bearing fog does not consistently increase infection rates in these shrubs unless their stomata are open.Answer
  4. D
    shrubs in dry conditions had higher rates of pathogen infection when their stomata were closed.

Answer

exposure to pathogen-bearing fog does not consistently increase infection rates in these shrubs unless their stomata are open.
The correct answer is supported by the finding that the simulated fog only led to significantly higher rates of pathogen infection when the shrubs' stomata were fully open. This implies that exposure to the pathogen-containing fog is not sufficient on its own to increase infection; the stomata must be open for the pathogens to enter and cause infection.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the key premises in the text.
Foliar water uptake (FWU) allows plants in dry areas to absorb water from fog/dew, but may facilitate pathogen entry. An experiment showed that shrubs exposed to fog with pathogens had higher infection rates, but only when their stomata were fully open.
This establishes the factual basis from which a logical conclusion must be drawn.
2
Analyze the conditional relationship in the results.
The increase in infection rates is conditional: it occurs if and only if (or specifically when) the stomata are open.
This helps identify the logical boundary of the conclusion, preventing overgeneralization or speculation.
3
Select the conclusion that directly matches this conditional relationship without introducing external assumptions.
The conclusion that fog exposure does not consistently increase infection rates unless stomata are open is directly supported, as it restates the conditional finding of the study.
This ensures the selected option is a valid logical inference.

Key Concept

Logical Inferences
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Logical Inferences

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