Question

the clock to stem the spread of the mountain pine beetle
by korey morgan
mmunication, usda forest service
2
summer of 2018. forest service entomologist amy lockner made
ing the taylor canyon road toward gunnison, colorado, a small
town situated in a valley often referred to as the \gateway to the
drove down the winding canyon road flanked by pine trees. her
sight a subtle inconsistency in the forest canopy that other travelers
have noticed. what caught lockners eye was a group of
pines beginning to fade and discolor.
idden realization hit her like a thunderclap. years of experience
insect species and their effect on the environment trained her to
or the tell-tale signs of mountain pine beetles. she took note of the
ned off the main road, and immediately looked for a nearby
er to get permission to collect samples.
es that given the size and age class of the lodgepole pine on the
had to be the mountain pine beetle,\ said lockner. \this is the same
t had killed so many millions of acres in colorado several years
and i was overwhelmed. i knew i needed to act fast, especially if we
chance of slowing it down.\
ntain pine beetles burrow into pine trees to lay eggs. once the eggs
the offspring feed on the living tree from the inside. over just a few
e larvae destroy the trees vital systems. after several months, the
s red and brown as it dies. the cycle takes just one year, and the
formed beetle is off to find their next host and begin it all again.
the population of beetles grows from an outbreak to an epidemic,
spread across tens of thousands of trees and cause mass death
4
select the correct answer from each drop-down menu.
how does the author unfold the idea that the mountain pine beetles are a major threat to the lodgepole pine trees?
first, the author describes
then, the author explains
amy lockner realizing there is a problem when she notices the discolored lodgepole pines
what a forest service entomologist like amy lockner does on a typical day at her job

Explanation:

The question asks how the author develops the idea that mountain pine beetles threaten lodgepole pines. First, the text opens with entomologist Amy Lockner noticing discolored pines, which is the initial sign of the threat. Then, the author goes on to explain the beetles' life cycle and how they kill trees, but from the given dropdown options, the first step is the observation of the problem.

Answer:

First, the author describes: Amy Lockner realizing there is a problem when she notices the discolored lodgepole pines
Then, the author explains: [The text would proceed to detail how the beetles harm trees, but from the provided dropdown, the first selection is the correct opening step]