Every spring in the southeastern United States strong thunderstorms are common. Frequently they lead to tornadoes which can have a significant impact on the environment such as uprooting trees. Based on this evidence, which claim would most likely be included in an argument that describes the change that the ecosystem would experience after a tornado moved through?

Question 1 options:

d. Pine trees would grow quickly, out-competing all other plants in the area, becoming the dominant plant type.

b. Hardwood trees such as oak and maple would begin growing to replace the ones that were uprooted.

c. Grasses and small shrubs would be the first plants to begin growing from the seeds that are in the soil.

a. Lichen would secrete chemicals onto the rock that they are attached to, breaking it down into smaller pieces.

This question depicts SECONDARY SUCCESSION, which is one of the two types of ecological successions where an area previously occupied by living organisms is disturbed by natural causes such as hurricanes, tornadoes etc. This is the case in this question where thunderstorms that lead to tornadoes leave a significant impact on the environment of the southeastern part of the United States.

According to the question, the tornado results in the uprooting of previously existing trees that has occupied that area. After the devastating effect of the tornado on the environment, changes occur rapidly since the soil of the environment are already rich in nutrients. The first plants to recolonize in secondary succession are annual plants consisting of grasses and shrubs whose seeds were not destroyed by the tornado. These forms of plants can also be called PIONEER species as far as secondary succession is concerned.

Hence, based on the question, grasses and small shrubs would be the first plants to begin growing from the seeds that are in the soil.