Question

as the earth gets warmer, plants and animals that need to live in cold places, like on mountaintops or in the arctic, might not have a suitable place to live. if the earth keeps getting warmer, up to one - fourth of all the plants and animals on earth could become extinct within 100 years. every plant and animal plays a role in the ecosystem (for example, as a source of food, a predator, a pollinator, a source of shelter), so losing one species can affect many others. this section of underlined text fits into the overall structure of the passage mainly by ____________ providing background information about the importance of individual species within ecosystems explaining why individual species require certain habitats to

Explanation:

The under - lined text states that every plant and animal has a role in the ecosystem (such as food source, predator, etc.) and losing one can affect others. This gives background on why individual species are important in ecosystems. It doesn't focus on why species need certain habitats.

Answer:

providing background information about the importance of individual species within ecosystems