Question

baltimore is one of many coastal cities that have installed hardening structures, such as seawalls and riprap, along their shorelines. while these structures protect against erosion and other hazards, many scientists have found that the structures are ecologically harmful. for instance, catherine m. bozek and david m. burdick showed that seawalls in new hampshire reduced marsh - plant species diversity. however, rachel k. gittman et al. have noted that most of these studies have taken place over only one year or less, which may be insufficient to capture the full range of hardening structures ecological effects. 7 mark for review which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole? a it praises the methodology bozek and burdick and other researchers relied on in their studies. b it indicates that an explanation offered by bozek and burdick has been replaced by a more plausible one. c it identifies a common limitation of investigations into the ecological effects of shoreline hardening. d it argues for the need to research the benefits of installing shoreline - hardening structures.

Explanation:

The underlined text points out that most studies on the ecological effects of hardening structures have a time - span of one year or less, which is a common limitation in these investigations. It doesn't praise methodology, replace an explanation, or argue for researching benefits.

Answer:

C. It identifies a common limitation of investigations into the ecological effects of shoreline hardening.