As Fungi Play Important Roles in Ecosystem Processes as Decomposers

question 61

Multiple Choice

As fungi play important roles in ecosystem processes as decomposers and symbiont partners, scientists are interested in understanding how global climate change may affect fungal diversity. In 2007-2008, scientists visited the maritime Antarctic, an area of the Southern Hemisphere that is noted to be warming the fastest, to conduct a survey of fungal diversity along a climatic gradient (the most prevalent weather conditions of a region along an incline) . Twenty-nine soil samples were taken along the gradient. Fungal diversity was measured in operational taxonomic units (OTUs) ; one OTU = one cluster, or group, of organisms. Here is a portion of the data collected:
Source: Newsham, K. K., Hopkins, D. W., Carvalhais, L. C., Fretwell, P. T., Rushton, S. P., O'Donnell, A. G., & Dennis, P. G. (n.d.) . Relationship between soil fungal diversity and temperature in the maritime Antarctic. Nature Climate Change, 6, 182-186.
-What might scientists also predict to find in warmer environments based on the data in the figure?

• A) decreased rate of decomposition
• B) increased rate of nutrient cycling in the soil
• C) increased rates of clear-cutting practices
• D) decreased mycorrhizal growth

---

Definitions:

Race War

A conflict between racial or ethnic groups characterized by violence and hostility, often fueled by racism, discrimination, and historical grievances.

Elaine, Arkansas

A location in the United States that was the site of a racial conflict known as the Elaine Massacre in 1919.

Ku Klux Klan

A white supremacist hate group originally founded in the 1860s in the United States, known for committing acts of violence and intimidation against African Americans and other minority groups.

Antiblack Violence

Refers to aggressive actions, both physical and systemic, specifically targeting Black individuals or communities.