Question

question 10 of 16
staples such as sweet potatoes, and the waters surrounding the island had plentiful fish that the people were skilled at catching. at its peak, it is believed that the rapa nui society on the island reached a population of 10,000 to 20,000 people spread throughout many chiefdoms.
at the time of the rapa nui arrival, the 63 - square mile volcanic island was covered in palm trees. to carry the massive blocks of rock needed for the moai, to construct canoes for fishing, to build fires, and to clear land for agriculture, the people cut down the native palm trees.
the deforestation increased soil erosion, which wiped out the habitat for the island’s native bird and animal species. as the supply of trees dwindled on the island, the people lost their means to fish, hunt, build homes, and construct fires. scientists have long believed that the loss of the trees on the island ultimately led to the downfall of the once - thriving society.

select the practices that contributed to the rapa nui society’s lack of sustainability.
□ planted crops that were not native to the island
□ devoted labor and nonrenewable volcanic rock to construct moai
□ adjusted dietary habits to suit local ecosystem
□ exhausted energy sources provided by the local ecosystem
□ significantly increased their population after settling on the island

Explanation:

1. Analyze each option:

• "planted crops that were not native to the island": The passage mentions staples like sweet potatoes but no info on non - native crops, so this is incorrect.
• "devoted labor and nonrenewable volcanic rock to construct moai": The passage says they cut down palm trees to carry the massive blocks of rock for moai. Using non - renewable resources (volcanic rock) and labor for moai construction, along with cutting trees (a renewable resource used unsustainably) contributes to lack of sustainability.
• "adjusted dietary habits to suit local ecosystem": The passage shows they overused resources, not adjusted habits to suit, so this is incorrect.
• "exhausted energy sources provided by the local ecosystem": They cut down palm trees (used for building fires, a source of energy) and overused them, exhausting this local energy source (wood from trees), contributing to lack of sustainability.
• "significantly increased their population after settling on the island": The passage states the population reached 10,000 - 20,000, a significant increase, and with more people, resource use increased, contributing to lack of sustainability.

Answer:

• devoted labor and nonrenewable volcanic rock to construct moai
• exhausted energy sources provided by the local ecosystem
• significantly increased their population after settling on the island