Vacationers visiting South Dakota's Black Hills have seen an ugly sight in recent years dying trees. A combination of unfortunate factors has given rise to a culprit called the mountain pine beetle. Because of a warming climate, the beetle is better able to survive the winter months. Fewer fires and a reduction in logging have led to forests with millions of mature trees. That makes exceptional habitat for the voracious beetles. The end result is hillsides covered not in green, but in a sad rusty brown.
What is causing the death of millions of trees in the Black Hills?
A. rising temperatures that are far too high for the trees to withstand
B. an increase in the population of a tiny beetle that kills the trees
Cl rampant wildfires and increasingly efficient logging practices