Question: The Piedmont and Coastal Plains regions in Maryland produce crops such as corn, soybeans, wheat, tobacco, tomatoes, and apples. Which environmental factor most likely influences which crops are grown in these regions?
Answer: soil quality
Hypothesis: the type of soil may have the greatest impact on plant growth
Supporting facts: sent1: the amount of moisture soil can hold determines the availability of water in that soil sent2: plant uptake is when plants absorb water from soil into themselves through their roots sent3: a plant requires nutrients to grow sent4: soil contains nutrients for plants sent5: growth is a kind of process sent6: if something impacts multiple parts of a process then that something may have the greatest impact on that process sent7: if something is required for a process then that something positively impacts that process sent8: soil provides nutrients for plants sent9: sandy soil is a type of soil sent10: a plant requires water to grow sent11: a plant is a kind of living thing sent12: sandy soil holds less moisture than heavy soil sent13: high quality / rich / good soil has a high number of nutrients sent14: heavy soil is a type of soil sent15: growth is when a living thing grows
Reasoning: [BECAUSE] a plant requires nutrients to grow [AND] soil provides nutrients for plants [INFER] int1: a plant requires nutrients in soil for growth [BECAUSE] int1 [AND] if something is required for a process then that something positively impacts that process [INFER] int2: nutrients in soil positively impacts the plant growth process [BECAUSE] high quality / rich / good soil has a high number of nutrients [AND] soil contains nutrients for plants [INFER] int3: different types of soil contain different amounts of nutrients [BECAUSE] int2 [AND] int3 [INFER] int4: different amounts of nutrients in different types of soil impact plant growth [BECAUSE] a plant is a kind of living thing [AND] growth is when a living thing grows [INFER] int5: growth is when a plant grows [BECAUSE] int5 [AND] a plant requires water to grow [INFER] int6: a plant requires water for growth [BECAUSE] int6 [AND] plant uptake is when plants absorb water from soil into themselves through their roots [INFER] int7: a plant requires water absorbed from soil for growth [BECAUSE] growth is a kind of process [AND] if something is required for a process then that something positively impacts that process [INFER] int8: if something is required for growth then that something positively impacts growth [BECAUSE] int7 [AND] int8 [INFER] int9: water absorbed from soil positively impacts plant growth [BECAUSE] the amount of moisture soil can hold determines the availability of water in that soil [AND] sandy soil holds less moisture than heavy soil [INFER] int10: sandy soil has less available water than heavy soil [BECAUSE] heavy soil is a type of soil [AND] sandy soil is a type of soil [INFER] int11: sandy soil and heavy soil are different types of soil [BECAUSE] int10 [AND] int11 [INFER] int12: different types of soil have different availability of water [BECAUSE] int12 [AND] int9 [INFER] int13: different availabilty of water in different types of soil impact plant growth [BECAUSE] int13 [AND] int4 [INFER] int14: type of soil impacts plant growth through amount of nutrients and availability of water [BECAUSE] int14 [AND] if something impacts multiple parts of a process then that something may have the greatest impact on that process [INFER] int15: the type of soil may have the greatest impact on plant growth