After reading the paragraph below, answer the question that follows.
Over a period of just fifteen years ending in 2006, the mountain pine beetle has killed an estimated twenty millions acres of trees in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia. These dead trees, in addition to no longer photosynthesizing to remove CO 2 from the atmosphere, will actually emit it during their decomposition. As of 2013, the mountain pine beetle has since killed about 50% of the total volume of commercial lodgepole pine in BC.
-The beetles, and a fungus with which they are often infected, together damage the xylem cells, which causes

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The mountain pine beetle and the associated fungus damage the xylem cells of trees. Xylem cells are responsible for the transport of water from the roots to the rest of the tree, so damaging these cells would block water transport, not directly affect photosynthesis, the Calvin cycle, or respiration at the cellular level.

After Reading the Paragraph Below, Answer the Question That Follows