The American chestnut once dominated eastern forests, with some trees reaching heights of over 100 feet. In the early 1900s, a fungal blight introduced from Asia spread rapidly through chestnut populations, killing nearly four billion trees within fifty years. Today, scientists are working to introduce blight-resistant genes into surviving chestnuts, hoping to restore the species to its former range.
What is the main purpose of the text?
- A
To compare the American chestnut with the Asian chestnut.
- B
To explain the science of fungal infections in trees.
- C
To argue that the American chestnut should be officially declared extinct.
- Dcheck_circle
To describe the rise, fall, and possible recovery of the American chestnut.
Explanation
The text moves chronologically: dominance, blight, ongoing recovery. B captures this arc. A contradicts the recovery effort; C and D are tangential.