Question

which two of the following would be most affected over the long - term by the greenhouse effect?
a the distance between the earth’s continents
b the carrying capacity of the earth’s ecosystem
c the distance in light years from the earth to the sun
d the natural resources of the earth like water and trees
e the rotation of the earth on its axis

Explanation:

1. Analyze Option B: The greenhouse effect impacts the Earth's climate, which in turn affects the ecosystem's carrying capacity (e.g., changes in temperature, precipitation affect species survival and resource availability).
2. Analyze Option D: Natural resources like water (availability, quality) and trees (carbon sequestration, habitat) are affected by climate change from the greenhouse effect (e.g., altered precipitation patterns for water, temperature changes affecting forests).
3. Eliminate other options:

• Option A: Distance between continents is a geological/geographical constant, not affected by greenhouse effect.
• Option C: Distance from Earth to Sun is astronomical and unaltered by greenhouse effect.
• Option E: Earth's rotation is a planetary motion, independent of greenhouse effect.

Answer:

B. The carrying capacity of the Earth’s ecosystem, D. The natural resources of the Earth like water and trees