Normally, seeds of Emmenathe penduliflora stay dormant for years and

Normally, seeds of Emmenathe penduliflora stay dormant for years and germinate only when a fire burns through their habitat. Nitrogen dioxide in the smoke induces the seeds to germinate. Fires clear the brush, allowing germinating seeds to receive the sunlight they need to grow. The plants mature quickly, produce seeds, and then die. In areas with heavy automobile traffic, however, the seed germinates in the absence of fire, with automobile exhaust supplying the required nitrogen dioxide.

The information given, if accurate, most strongly supports which of the following hypotheses?

A. Fires in the habitat of E. Penduliflora do not entirely destroy the plant’s seeds even in the places where the fires burn most intensely.

B. The nitrogen dioxide in automobile exhaust cannot harm plants of E. Penduliflora after germination.

C. If human intervention decreases the number of fires in the habitat of E. Penduliflora, automobile exhaust can replicate the conditions the plant requires in order to thrive.

D. Within the habitat of E. Penduliflora, natural fires are significantly more frequent in areas with heavy automobile traffic than they are in other areas.

E. Unless E. Penduliflora seeds that have germinated can survive in the shade, automobile exhaust threatens the long-term survival of the plant in areas with heavy automobile traffic.


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