The authors of a recent study of the aftermath of a major wildfire in

Question

The authors of a recent study of the aftermath of a major wildfire in the northwestern United States concluded that, contrary to the expectations of logging advocates, logging the burned trees both killed large numbers of seedlings that had sprouted on their own and increased the short-term danger of wildfire. The study sampled five of the largest areas, both logged and nonlogged, all of which had experienced burning. Natural seeding produced 767 seedlings per hectare, exceeding forest service standards for manual replanting. Cutting down dead trees and hauling away logs, however, killed 71 percent of the nautral seedlings, leaving only 224 per hectare.

​​​​​​​In addition, the amount of small branches on the ground, which spread a fire quickly, was about four times higher in logged areas than in similar nonlogged areas. The amount of large branches and logs on the ground, which burn hot and sustain a fire, was about three times higher. Controlled burning of the debris reduces fire risk, but kills more natural seedlings. The study suggested that the lowest fire risk strategy may be to leave dead trees standing as long as possible (where they are less available to surface flames), allowing for aerial decay and slow, episodic input to surface fuel loads over decades. 
   1 
1. It can most reasonably be inferred that if the strategy described in the final sentence of the passage were followed, which of the following would be true?

A. Loggers would eventually have to remove the dead trees that fall over.
B. Controlled burning of forest debris would not help reduced wildfire risk. 
C. If a wildfire were to start, it would be more likely to sustain itself than if the area were logged. 
D. The need for manual replanting of seedligns would be mitigated.
E. The long-term danger of wildfires would be increased substaintially.

2 
2. The authors of the study described in the passage would most likely agree with which of the following statements?

A. Manual replanting of seedligns is preferable to natural seeding in forests that experience major wildfires.
B. Controlled burning of the debris after logging is preferable to leaving that debris on the ground.
C. Logging advocates have an inherent bias when it comes to the debate about managing forests that experience major wildfires.
D. Logging burned forests exposes more fuel to potential wildfires than does leaving the trees standing.
E. Logging forests that have experienced wildfires should proceed if most of the trees have fallen due to the fire.

3 
3. The primary purpose of the passage is to
​​​​​​​
A. critique logging advocates' arguments for how best to manage forests after major wildfires
B. outline a debate between logging advocates and environmentalists regarding logging of forests after wildfires
C. discuss ways to meet forest service standards for replanting forests after major wildfires
D. present data from a study investigating whether logging forests after major wildfires is a good strategy 
E. describe the methodology used in a study assessing a forest's ability to reseed itself after a major wildfire

Rohan30 · Answer

For the First Question, why can't the answer be A?

Posted from my mobile device

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

1. It can most reasonably be inferred that if the strategy described in the final sentence of the passage were followed, which of the following would be true?

Explanation

A  is not directly supported by the passage. The final sentence suggests leaving dead trees standing as long as possible to reduce fire risk. While it's possible that loggers may eventually need to remove fallen dead trees, the passage does not explicitly mention this.

B  contradicts the information provided in the passage. The passage mentions that controlled burning of debris reduces fire risk.

C   is not directly supported by the passage. The passage does not compare the likelihood of a wildfire sustaining itself in logged versus non-logged areas.

D  aligns with the strategy described in the final sentence of the passage. The passage suggests leaving dead trees standing to allow for natural seeding and aerial decay, which would reduce the need for manual replanting of seedlings.

E  is not directly supported by the passage. The passage suggests that leaving dead trees standing may reduce the short-term danger of wildfires by reducing the availability of surface fuel loads. It does not provide information to suggest that this strategy would increase the long-term danger of wildfires.

Answer: D

Harshit4232 · Answer

"The study suggested that the lowest fire risk strategy may be to leave dead trees standing as long as possible (where they are less available to surface flames), allowing for aerial decay and slow, episodic input to surface fuel loads over decades. "

Where does the last sentence mention about leaving dead trees standing to "allow for natural seedling"? A can still be a inferred logically by the fact it says "standing as long as possible" but no-where it seems to be mentioned explicitly or inexplicitly that it allows for natural seedling. It should be 'A'.

Ratikainen · Answer

This is a RC question so we have to find the correct answer from the info provided in the passage not from a specific sentence. 
The last sentence did not mention "allow for natural seedling" but the previous sentence specifically said so.  Controlled burning of the debris reduces fire risk, but kills more natural seedlings.

As for A, nowhere in the passage did the author remotely mention anything about having to remove the dead strees  that fall over . Question is asking which can be inferring based on info given in the passage not based on what we think should happen.

Navneet290 · Answer

Can someone please provide OE for Q3? Thank you.

arinamdar · Answer

MartyMurray  could you please explain the answers to this passage.

JoeKan1234 · Answer

3. The primary purpose of the passage is to
​​​​​​​
A. critique logging advocates' arguments for how best to manage forests after major wildfires
B. outline a debate between logging advocates and environmentalists regarding logging of forests after wildfires
C. discuss ways to meet forest service standards for replanting forests after major wildfires
D. present data from a study investigating whether logging forests after major wildfires is a good strategy 
E. describe the methodology used in a study assessing a forest's ability to reseed itself after a major wildfire

Main Idea 
P1: the author uses a recent study to describe that, contrary to the expectations of logging advocates,  logging the burned trees both killed large numbers of seedlings that had sprouted on their own and increased the short-term danger of wildfire , which is the argument at issue.
P2: the author provides further evidence in support of the argument. The author also presents a "lowest fire risk strategy" suggested by the study.

A. according to the Main Idea, critiquing is not the purpose of this passage, even though the author does critique logging advocates' arguments, which is only a branch of the main idea.
B. no "debate" mentioned.
C. the passage indeed mentions a way to lower fire risk. But this is not the purpose of this passage. Besides, C distorts the passage's meaning. 
D. most align to the Main Idea. Keep.
E. No "methodology" mentioned.

av722 · Answer

3. The primary purpose of the passage is to

A. critique logging advocates' arguments for how best to manage forests after major wildfires
B. outline a debate between logging advocates and environmentalists regarding logging of forests after wildfires
C. discuss ways to meet forest service standards for replanting forests after major wildfires
 D. present data from a study investigating whether logging forests after major wildfires is a good strategy  
E. describe the methodology used in a study assessing a forest's ability to reseed itself after a major wildfire

A: while the article might  suggest  this at the end of passage, it never really makes a formal argument against logging advocates' arguments. I think 'critique' goes too far. 
B: As I said above, it doesn't really argue anything in the passage, Additionally, there's not much evidence in support of the logging advocates, so the debate is not present. 
C: 'Forest service standards' is mentioned briefly in the first paragraph to convey that natural seeding exceeds the standards for manual replanting. But to say that this piece is the primary purpose of the passage goes too far-- the passage also covers things like future fire risk in the second paragraph. 
D: This is exactly what the passage does. There's tons of evidence given throughout the passage, and no clear argument is given. The last sentence summarizes the evidence with what the study 'suggests,' which connects to to piece in the choice about 'whether logging forests after major wildfires is a good strategy'. 
E: While it does mention a natural reseeding, the study isn't just about a forest's ability to reseed itself. It's also about fire risk too. Additionally, not convinced the paragraph mentions 'methodology' at all.  How  they got their results is barely mentioned except for maybe the second sentence of the first paragraph.

Anuramaa · Answer

3. The primary purpose of the passage is to

A. critique logging advocates' arguments for how best to manage forests after major wildfires  
 B. outline a debate between logging advocates and environmentalists regarding logging of forests after wildfires 
 C. discuss ways to meet forest service standards for replanting forests after major wildfires 
  D. present data from a study investigating whether logging forests after major wildfires is a good strategy   
 E. describe the methodology used in a study assessing a forest's ability to reseed itself after a major wildfire

It is easy to get confused between A and D. However, A is wrong because a critique must talk about the good and bad of something. In this passage, the author only points out the negative aspects of logging.

D is correct because he just goes on to provide data on what is more likely to happen, etc. and the passage is siding towards promoting the fact that it is not a good strategy

Does this make sense?

lemonwatermelo · Answer

Can someone explain Q2:
2. The authors of the study described in the passage would most likely agree with which of the following statements?

Why is D the correct answer? I was confused between C and D.

RiyaJ0032 · Answer

because it's directly supported from the info in the stem - "  logging the burned trees both killed large numbers of seedlings that had sprouted on their own and increased the short-term danger of wildfire"

there is no bias whatsoever mentioned in the rc, so (C) is out

Mohak01 · Answer

To add to explanation for Q1,

-> Option D says that  need for manual seedling would be mitigated , The first paragraph mentions that natural seeding produced for non-logged exceeds standards for manual replanting. Thus option D is supported.

-> Further, study suggest to leave dead tress standing as long as possible. Now if they fall, whether the tree is to be logged or not is not supported. Hence option A is not supported.

aaronmart14 · Answer

What is the question asking?
 
We want a statement that aligns with  the study's findings and recommendations .

A) Manual replanting of seedlings is preferable to natural seeding in forests that experience major wildfires.
 
 Passage says  natural seeding  produced  767 seedlings per hectare , which  exceeded Forest Service standards for manual replanting . 
 This suggests  natural seeding is already sufficient  → manual planting  not needed .  
❌ Contradicts passage.

B) Controlled burning of the debris after logging is preferable to leaving that debris on the ground.
 
 Controlled burning  reduces fire risk  but  kills natural seedlings . 
 Authors  favor leaving dead trees standing , not burning.  
❌ Not aligned with the suggested strategy, but keep it if you are not sure.

C) Logging advocates have an inherent bias when it comes to the debate about managing forests that experience major wildfires.
 
 Passage  does not discuss bias or motives , only that  logging advocates’ expectations  were  not met.   
❌ Unsupported by the text.

D) Logging burned forests exposes more fuel to potential wildfires than does leaving the trees standing.
 
 This  matches the data :
 
 Logging areas have  4× small branches  +  3× large branches/logs  
 Authors conclude  leaving trees standing reduces risk .  
  
✅  This is directly supported by the study, so we can eliminate option B, becuase this is more complete.

E) Logging forests that have experienced wildfires should proceed if most of the trees have fallen due to the fire.
 
 Passage  never says logging is OK if trees have fallen ; 
 Author’s strategy:  leave dead trees standing  whenever possible.  
❌ Not supported

egmat · Answer

Question 2

This question asks what the study authors would most likely agree with, so we need to stick closely to their actual research findings.

Step 1: Identify the Core Finding 
The passage presents a counterintuitive discovery: logging burned forests actually  increases  fire danger rather than reducing it. The key mechanism? Location of fuel matters.

Step 2: Understand the Fire Fuel Mechanism 
The passage provides specific data:

Logged areas:  4	imes  more small branches on ground (fire spreaders)
Logged areas:  3	imes  more large branches/logs on ground (fire sustainers)
Standing dead trees: fuel is "less available to surface flames"

This creates a critical distinction:  ground-level fuel  (dangerous) vs.  elevated fuel  (safer).

Step 3: Evaluate Answer Choices 
 Option A  Manual replanting preferable to natural seeding?
 Wrong  - Natural seeding produced 767 seedlings/hectare, exceeding forest service standards for manual replanting.

Option B  Controlled burning of debris preferable?
 Wrong  - While it reduces fire risk, it "kills more natural seedlings." The researchers want both fire safety AND seedling preservation.

Option C  Logging advocates have inherent bias?
 Wrong  - The passage simply states their expectations were wrong, not that they were biased.

Option D  Logging exposes more fuel to potential wildfires than leaving trees standing?
 Correct!  This directly aligns with the evidence: logging creates ground-level debris ( 4	imes  and  3	imes  more fuel), while standing trees keep fuel "less available to surface flames."

Option E  Should log if trees have fallen?
 Wrong  - The passage doesn't distinguish between standing vs. fallen trees in its recommendations.
 The Answer: D

The key insight is understanding that  exposure  to fire isn't just about quantity of fuel—it's about  accessibility . Ground-level debris is exposed and available to surface flames, while standing dead trees keep the same fuel elevated and less accessible.

Want to master the systematic framework for tackling all RC inference questions?  Check out the  complete solution on Neuron by e-GMAT , which reveals the 3-step pattern recognition technique that works across similar problems. You'll also discover how to identify author agreement vs. author inference distinctions that many test-takers miss. Further, feel free to access detailed solutions for official questions to build consistent RC accuracy on  Neuron .

The authors of a recent study of the aftermath of a major wildfire in

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GMAT Reading Comprehension (RC) Questions

The authors of a recent study of the aftermath of a major wildfire in

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