Silting is described as the consequence of what scenario?

Silting is described as the consequence of what scenario?

• A. Once trees are removed the flow of soil increases, leading to floods
• B. Planting trees to stabilize soil
• C. Evaporation of water bodies
• D. Increased rainfall alone

Answer: (A)

When soil is protected by vegetation, rainfall is less likely to wash large amounts of it away. Trees and their roots hold soil in place and slow down surface runoff. When trees are removed, soil becomes loose and more easily eroded; water carries those soil particles into rivers and reservoirs. Over time, that sediment settles out, narrowing channels and reducing storage capacity—a process known as silting. The scenario described—removing trees increases soil flow and sediment that can clog waterways—best matches how silting develops, since it directly links loss of vegetation to more erosion and sediment buildup in water bodies. The other options don’t fit as well: planting trees stabilizes soil and would reduce silting, not cause it; evaporation doesn’t create sediment buildup in water bodies; increased rainfall alone isn’t the key driver without the loss of vegetation that exposes and loosens the soil.

When soil is protected by vegetation, rainfall is less likely to wash large amounts of it away. Trees and their roots hold soil in place and slow down surface runoff. When trees are removed, soil becomes loose and more easily eroded; water carries those soil particles into rivers and reservoirs. Over time, that sediment settles out, narrowing channels and reducing storage capacity—a process known as silting. The scenario described—removing trees increases soil flow and sediment that can clog waterways—best matches how silting develops, since it directly links loss of vegetation to more erosion and sediment buildup in water bodies.

The other options don’t fit as well: planting trees stabilizes soil and would reduce silting, not cause it; evaporation doesn’t create sediment buildup in water bodies; increased rainfall alone isn’t the key driver without the loss of vegetation that exposes and loosens the soil.