You Are a Forester Charged with Increasing Productivity in a South

question 42

Multiple Choice

You are a forester charged with increasing productivity in a South American forest newly planted with pines from Oregon. You believe that the southern forest lacks the fungal diversity needed by the North American pines and that this lack of fungi is affecting the pines' productivity, but you have no evidence to support your ideas. To count how many fungal species were present in the Oregon forest, which methodology would you choose?

• A) Count all the plant species and multiply by 6, as David Hawksworth did when determining the ratio of fungal to plant species in England.
• B) Collect all the fruiting structures (mushrooms, morels, etc.) found aboveground.
• C) Do direct sequencing on representative soil samples from across the forest.
• D) Expose the trees to radiolabeled carbon dioxide and then collect the soil samples with the greatest radioactivity and do direct sequencing.

---

Definitions:

Purely Competitive Market

An ideal market scenario where many sellers offer identical products, ensuring no single entity can significantly impact market prices or conditions, effectively echoing the principles of pure competition.

Cost Data

Information related to the expenses incurred in producing a product or providing a service, including materials, labor, and overhead.

Output Level

The quantity of goods or services produced by a business or economy within a certain period.

Short-Run Equilibrium

The condition in which, in the short term, the quantity of goods supplied equals the quantity of goods demanded at the current price.