Use the Following Information to Answer the Question

question 37

Multiple Choice

Use the following information to answer the question.
Big Bend National Park in Texas is mostly Chihuahuan desert, where rainfall averages about 25 centimeters per year. Yet, it is not uncommon when hiking in this extremely arid zone to encounter mosses and ferns. One such plant is called "flower of stone." It is not a flowering plant, nor does it produce seeds. Under arid conditions, its leaflike structures curl up. However, when it rains, it unfurls its leaves, which form a bright green rosette on the desert floor. Consequently, it is sometimes called the "resurrection plant." At first glance, it could be a fern, a true moss, or a spike moss.
Which of the following features is most important for true mosses and ferns to reproduce in the desert?

• A) that the sporophytes occupy only permanently shady, north-facing habitats
• B) that the sporophytes hug the ground, growing no taller than a couple of inches
• C) either that their gametophytes grow close together, or that they be homosporous
• D) that the sporophytes have highly lignified vascular tissues

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Definitions:

Total Willingness to Pay

The maximum amount an individual or group is willing to pay for a good or service, reflecting the total value they derive from it.

Public Goods

Goods that are non-excludable and non-rivalrous, meaning they can be used by everyone and one person's use does not reduce availability to others, examples include public parks and national defense.

Nonrival Consumption

A characteristic of certain goods where the consumption by one individual does not reduce availability to others, typical of public goods.

Nonexcludable

A characteristic of a good or service that does not allow the provider to prevent its use by individuals who have not paid for it.