Free SAT Practice Question

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ID: DSAT-RW-16
Section: Digital SAT Reading & Writing (RW) - Broadly Reading - Information and Ideas
Topic: Command of Evidence – Textual
Difficulty level: Hard

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In an effort to understand the ecological role of elephants in forest environments, biologist Anika Raman conducted research in tropical regions where elephant populations had either remained stable, been reduced, or been completely removed due to habitat loss or human conflict. Raman observed that in areas where elephants were absent, the forest understory—the layer of vegetation beneath the forest canopy—became denser over time, inhibiting the growth of new saplings and reducing plant diversity. By contrast, in areas with stable elephant populations, the understory remained relatively open, allowing sunlight to reach the forest floor and enabling a greater variety of plant species to thrive. Based on these observations, Raman hypothesized that elephants act as "ecosystem engineers," helping to maintain plant diversity by trampling or feeding on fast-growing shrubs that would otherwise dominate the understory.

Which finding, if true, would most directly undermine Raman's hypothesis?

AIn several regions where elephant populations have remained stable, researchers have observed high levels of plant diversity in both the understory and canopy layers of the forest.

BIn some areas where elephants were removed, researchers documented an initial increase in fast-growing shrub density, but a long-term decline in total plant species as the canopy thickened.

CIn multiple forests with stable elephant populations, the understory was found to be just as dense as in forests where elephants had been absent for decades.

DIn regions where elephants had never been present historically, plant diversity in the understory was similar to that in forests with large elephant populations.

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