Reading Comprehension

PT126 · S2 · P2 · Q11 Purple Loosestrife

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The following passages concern a plant called purple loosestrife.

Topic

The ecological and sociological perspectives on the spread and control of purple loosestrife, an invasive wetland plant.

Framework

Present Debate

Main Point

The two passages offer contrasting views: Passage A (science perspective) focuses on the negative ecological impact of purple loosestrife and emphasizes the need for scientific control, while Passage B (sociological perspective) challenges the framing of loosestrife as purely an environmental threat and suggests that social/economic motivations underlie the push for its control. *Most Valuable Sentences:* - Passage A: (end of Passage A) - Passage B: (end of Passage B)

P1 (Passage A): Description of Invasion and Impact

This paragraph introduces purple loosestrife as a highly invasive species with a big negative impact on native wetland plants and possibly wildlife. It discusses how hard it is to control, describes failed and limited management efforts, and notes that research on long-term solutions is lacking.

P2 (Passage A): Call for Action & Control Methods

Here, the scientific report urges the need for integrated management and stresses that early intervention is key to minimizing ecological damage.

P1 (Passage B): Critique of the “War” on Loosestrife

The sociological voice jumps in here, calling out how loosestrife control is justified as an environmental crusade. The paragraph suggests that the framing is as much about the cultural story we tell (nature vs. invasive weed) as it is about real environmental danger.

11.

It can be inferred that both authors would be most likely to agree with which one of the following statements regarding purple loosestrife?

Correct
As it increases in North
Why this is right
This is phrased so softly ("some wildlife populations tend to decrease") that we want to consider it. It's hard to disagree with this claim, because you'd have to be maintaining that no wildlife populations are negatively impacted by purple loosestrife. We know that Passage A, our alarmist, is going to believe that purple loosestrife is going to decrease at least some wildlife populations. So the real question is whether Passage B would allow for this. (For the record, passage A says that "impacts on wildlife have not been well studied, but serious reductions in waterfowl and aquatic furbearer productivity have been observed). When Passage B assesses purple loosestrife's impact she says this: no bird species other than the canvasback has been identified in the literature as endangered by purple loosestrife (which seems to implicitly acknowledge that the canvasback has been endangered by purple loosestrife). B also says: The impact of purple loosestrife on furbearing mammals is discussed at great length, though none of the species highlighted can be considered threatened. This statement seems to allow for the fact that purple loosestrife is having some negative impact on furbearing mammals, just not so-alarming an impact that it threatens those species. So basically we're picking this answer mainly because of B's reference to the canvasback. While B doesn't outright say, "the canvasback's population is decreasing where loosestrife proliferates", B doesn't push back against the idea that the canvasback has been identified as a species endangered by purple loosestrife (and since her whole agenda is to push back, she would say something if she disagreed). Finally, her last sentence is saying that purple loosestrife threatens millions of lost dollars to the outdoor recreation industry "due to a decline in the production of the wetland resource" and that wetland resource is a call back to "these preferred species such as muskrat and mink".
Skill tested: Author Opinion · how this choice captures the passage's function is the move to repeat next time.
74% picked this
Its establishment in North America
Too Strong for B
Too Strong for B: disastrous Out of Scope for B: vegetation Passage B is trying to tamp down the alarm, so she would not agree to the idea of "disastrous" ecological impact, and passage B never mentions impact on vegetation.
14% picked this
It is very difficult to
Out of Scope B
Out of Scope B: herbicides Contradicted in A Passage B never discusses options for controlling loosestrife via herbicides, and Passage A actually says that the herbicide glysophate "has been used successfully to control ti".
1% picked this
Its introduction into North America
Too Strong for B: great blunder
Passage B is not alarmed by purple loosestrife. She thinks it's only of great concern to people worried about the trapping, hunting, and recreation revenues that could be affected. So she wouldn't sign off on "great ecological blunder".
8% picked this
When it is eliminated from
Unsupported in Both Passages
Neither passage has any remark similar to "once you remove it, it tends to quickly come back". In fact, Passage A acts like if you spot it early and dig it out, you're okay.
2% picked this

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