Case 1: The biome of a small agricultural community in the western United States changes from grassland to desert. A species of migrating duck, which can carry bird flu, goes locally extinct.
Case 2: The biome in northern Russia changes from tundra to taiga. Timber harvesting in the region becomes possible. Arctic foxes go locally extinct and are replaced by red foxes that commonly carry rabies.
Sort the consequence based on whether it would apply to Case 1, Case 2, or both: carbon storage decreases
The consequence of "carbon storage decreases" would apply to Case 2.
In Case 2, the transition from tundra to taiga involves the loss of the carbon-storing capacity of the tundra ecosystem, which is typically lower in carbon storage compared to taiga forests. The conversion of tundra to taiga can lead to a decrease in overall carbon storage due to changes in vegetation and soil composition.
In Case 1, the change from grassland to desert may also affect carbon storage, but the primary focus of the case is on the extinction of the duck species and the implications of that change. Therefore, the more direct consequence of decreased carbon storage is more relevant to Case