(Originais Teachy 2024) - Question Medium of Sciences

Technological development has allowed the exploitation of natural resources in an increasingly intense way. However, this unrestrained exploitation has generated serious environmental problems. Deforestation is an example of these problems. Deforestation is the destruction of forest cover for agricultural use, urbanization, or timber extraction. Which of the following environmental impacts can be caused by deforestation?

Plants are very special living beings! They need water and sunlight to grow, just like we need food and water to live. Think of a little plant you saw or have at home, and tell me: Why are water and sunlight so important for this little plant to grow and look beautiful? Explain how you think the plant uses water and sunlight to make its food and stay alive.

When the leaves fall from the trees, they begin to decompose on the forest floor. This decomposition process is very important for nature, as it releases nutrients that were stored in the leaves back into the soil. Fungi and bacteria play a key role in this stage of the life cycle, acting as decomposers. An experiment was conducted in a forest area where leaves from different trees were collected. Each set of leaves was placed in a separate container and kept under suitable conditions to observe decomposition. The experiment lasted several weeks and the students regularly noted the changes that occurred. At the end of the experiment, they compared the decomposition state of each set of leaves. Based on the natural cycle, the importance of decomposition, and the described experiment, what conclusion can be drawn about the role of the fungi and bacteria observed in the decomposition of leaves in the forest?