For cross-text questions, first state the principle or distinctions established in Text 1. Then map each important result in Text 2 onto that framework, paying attention to controls and qualifications. Prefer the answer that explains the complete pattern without overstating what either text establishes.
Hints
- Hint 1
Distinguish the two strategies
Ask what pattern would indicate a stable partial-germination strategy and what pattern would indicate responsiveness to a forecast.
- Hint 2
Compare treatments within each population
Focus on how much each population's germination rate changes between the cool and warm pulses.
- Hint 3
Use the controls
Consider what the equal rainfall statistics and the viability tests rule out.
Step-by-step
- Step 1
Identify the model's two responses
Text 1 associates relatively stable partial germination with unpredictable conditions that lack a useful early cue. It associates changing germination rates with a signal that reliably forecasts favorable conditions.
- Step 2
Match each population to the model
Coastal germination rises from 39 percent after the warm pulse to 84 percent after the cool pulse, matching the historical value of cool soil as a forecast. Basin germination remains nearly unchanged because temperature has no predictive value there.
- Step 3
Account for the ungerminated seeds
The viability tests indicate that ungerminated seeds were dormant rather than dead. Thus, the coastal population can respond strongly to the cool cue while still preserving some seeds for future years, exactly as Text 1 allows.