Problem: I read this background article the other day: Thermoclines, or sudden changes in temperature. Where the air temperature is higher than the water temperature, shallow water may be warmed by the air and the sunlight but deeper water remains cold resulting in a lowering of temperature as the diver descends. This temperature change may be concentrated over a small vertical interval, when it is called a thermocline.[3][4] Where cold, fresh water enters a warmer sea the fresh water may float over the denser saline water, so the temperature rises as the diver descends.[3] In lakes exposed to geothermal activity, the temperature of the deeper water may be warmer than the surface water. This will usually lead to convection currents.[3] I am facing a new situation today: Ryan explored two lakes; Big lake, and Arrow lake to the south. Arrow lake had a river flowing into it, while Big lake presented evidence of underwater geothermal activity. Many divers drowned in Arrow lake because of temperature shock. Using the knowledge I acquired from the background article, how should I answer correctly the following question regarding my new situation: Which lake had less fresh water flowing into it?

A: Big lake

Problem: I read this background article the other day: A plant's first line of defense against abiotic stress is in its roots. If the soil holding the plant is healthy and biologically diverse, the plant will have a higher chance of surviving stressful conditions.The plant responses to stress are dependent on the tissue or organ affected by the stress. For example, transcriptional responses to stress are tissue or cell specific in roots and are quite different depending on the stress involved.One of the primary responses to abiotic stress such as high salinity is the disruption of the Na+/K+ ratio in the cytoplasm of the plant cell. High concentrations of Na+, for example, can decrease the capacity for the plant to take up water and also alter enzyme and transporter functions. Evolved adaptations to efficiently restore cellular ion homeostasis has led to a wide variety of stress tolerant plants.Facilitation, or the positive interactions between different species of plants, is an intricate web of association in a natural environment. It is how plants work together. In areas of high stress, the level of facilitation is especially high as well. This could possibly be because the plants need a stronger network to survive in a harsher environment, so their interactions between species, such as cross-pollination or mutualistic actions, become more common to cope with the severity of their habitat.Plants also adapt very differently from one another, even from a plant living in the same area. When a group of different plant species was prompted by a variety of different stress signals, such as drought or cold, each plant responded uniquely. Hardly any of the responses were similar, even though the plants had become accustomed to exactly the same home environment.Rice (Oryza sativa) is a classic example. Rice is a staple food throughout the world, especially in China and India. Rice plants experience different types of abiotic stresses, like drought and high salinity. These stress conditions have a negative impact on rice production. Genetic diversity has been studied... I am facing a new situation today: Two farmers provide a neighboring city with plenty of produce every year. Brick farm has a lot of plant problems, their plants experience abiotic stress. Boulder farm had a good production because their plants presented almost no signs of abiotic stress. Using the knowledge I acquired from the background article, how should I answer correctly the following question regarding my new situation: Which farm has a soil that is more biologically diverse?

A: Boulder

Problem: I read this background article the other day: A mycorrhiza (Greek for "fungus roots") is a symbiotic association between a fungus and the roots of a plant. In a mycorrhizal association, the fungus may colonize the roots of a host plant by either growing directly into the root cells, or by growing around the root cells. This association provides the fungus with relatively constant and direct access to glucose, which the plant produces by photosynthesis. The mycelia of the fungi increase the surface area of the plant's root system. The larger surface area improves water and mineral nutrient absorption from the soil. I am facing a new situation today: Two friends studied permaculture together. Bill studied about mycorrhiza, while Red studied about hugel kultur. Using the knowledge I acquired from the background article, how should I answer correctly the following question regarding my new situation: Which friend learned more about glucose?

A: Bill

Problem: I read this background article the other day: Precipitation in grasslands is equal to or less than evapotranspiration and causes soil development to operate in relative drought. Leaching and migration of weathering products is therefore decreased. Large amounts of evaporation causes buildup of calcium (Ca) and other large cations flocculate clay minerals and fulvic acids in the upper soil profile. Impermeable clay limits downward percolation of water and fulvic acids, reducing chemical weathering and podzolization. The depth to the maximum concentration of clay increases in areas of increased precipitation and leaching. When leaching is decreased, the Ca precipitates as calcite (CaCO3) in the lower soil levels, a layer known as caliche. I am facing a new situation today: Two farmers had neighboring parcels of land. Bob had a nice parcel of old growth forest, while the other farmer, named Bill , had a similar sized parcel covered in grasslands. Using the knowledge I acquired from the background article, how should I answer correctly the following question regarding my new situation: Which farmer observed a greater buildup of calcium in the soil?

A:
Bill