Açai Berries Come from Trees That Are Native to the Amazon

Açai berries come from trees that are native to the Amazon River Basin and now are the basis of many popular fruit drinks. Farmers with small areas harvest the berries in their family farms. Sometimes, they plant additional açai trees, weed out underbrush, and remove other trees in an effort to increase açai production. A recent study compared the forest characteristics of unmanipulated plots versus those where the farmers modified the plants in the plots. This study produced the following results:
$$\begin{array} { | l | l | l | } \hline \text { Characteristics } & \text { Unmanipulated Plots } & \text { Manipulated Plots } \\\hline \begin{array} { l } \text { Açai density (mean \# } \\\text { clumps/plot) }\end{array} & 625 & 1,000 \\\hline \text { Number of vines } & 800 / \text { plot } & 4,100 / \text { plot } \\\hline \text { Stem density of all plants } & 4,680 / \text { plot } & 77.35 / \text { plot } \\\hline \text { Density of non-palm } & & \\\text { stems } & 1,400 / \text { plot } & 4,000 / \text { plot } \\\hline\end{array}$$
Which of the following conclusions are most reasonable to draw from the data presented?

A) Açai production will help keep the biodiversity of the Amazonian rainforest intact even when farmers manipulate their plots.
B) Açai production helps alleviate poverty by Amazonian people with small farms.
C) Açai production does not affect the composition of the forest even when farmers manipulate their plots.
D) Açai production changes the character of the forest when farmers manipulate their plots.

Correct Answer:

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