Question: Human actions can change the rate at which soil erodes. Which of the following would most likely slow the rate of soil erosion?
Answer: planting trees along cliffs
Hypothesis: planting trees is a kind of human action that slows the rate of soil erosion
Supporting facts: sent1: tree roots decrease / reduce soil erosion sent2: weathering is a kind of erosion sent3: overgrazing increases soil erosion sent4: decreasing something negative has a positive impact on a thing sent5: fast means quickly sent6: as the deforestation increases , the soil erosion will increase sent7: to keep something from happening means to prevent that something sent8: large canopies / trees block sunlight from reaching the ground sent9: preventing something decreases the amount of that something sent10: as the distance from a source of something increases , that something will decrease sent11: trees decrease / reduce the wind speed / wind force sent12: planting trees increases the number of trees in an environment sent13: humans changing ecosystems / environments usually has a negative impact on an ecosystem / organisms living in an ecosystem sent14: to slow / to slow down decreases speed sent15: if something decreases something else then increasing that something will decrease that something else sent16: erosion usually causes harm to the environment sent17: planting tree is a kind of human action sent18: trees require a certain thickness of soil to grow sent19: roots are a part of a plant / tree sent20: rate is a kind of measure of speed sent21: being exposed to wind / water / animals / heat can cause erosion of soil / of rocks sent22: to prevent the occurence of an event means to decrease the occurence of the event sent23: a decrease in soil thickness can cause harm to trees sent24: roots anchor plants into the soil sent25: weathering / mechanical weathering means breaking down rocks / surface materials from a larger whole into smaller pieces by weather / mechanical means
Reasoning: [BECAUSE] planting trees increases the number of trees in an environment [AND] planting tree is a kind of human action [INFER] int1: planting trees is a kind of human action that increases the number of trees in an envrionment [BECAUSE] to slow / to slow down decreases speed [AND] rate is a kind of measure of speed [INFER] int2: to slow / to slow down decreases the rate of something [BECAUSE] int2 [AND] tree roots decrease / reduce soil erosion [INFER] int3: tree roots slow the rate of soil erosion [BECAUSE] int3 [AND] roots are a part of a plant / tree [INFER] int4: trees slow the rate of soil erosion [BECAUSE] to slow / to slow down decreases speed [AND] rate is a kind of measure of speed [INFER] int5: to slow / to slow down decreases the rate of something [BECAUSE] int5 [AND] if something decreases something else then increasing that something will decrease that something else [INFER] int6: if something slows the rate of something else then increasing that something will slow the rate of that something else [BECAUSE] int4 [AND] int6 [INFER] int7: increasing the number of trees slows the rate of soil erosion [BECAUSE] int1 [AND] int7 [INFER] int8: planting trees is a kind of human action that slows the rate of soil erosion