There are approximately 400 million trees currently growing in the Amazon Rainforest, which covers approximately 5.5 million square kilometers. The rainforest is being cleared at a rate of 20,000 square kilometers per year to make way for new farmland and to harvest wood for building supplies. Before this year, 250,000 square kilometers had already been cleared. A preservation consortium is trying to mitigate the loss of rainforest by planting new trees. They have already planted 3,000 square kilometers of trees and plan to plant 100 square kilometers of trees each year. Create an equation to represent the rainforest area deforested, AD, in thousands of square kilometers, after t years.

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Create an equation to represent the rainforest area planted with new trees, AP, in thousands of square kilometers, after t years.

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Use an online graphing tool to graph the equations you created in parts a and b. Specify what each axis represents and set the scale of each graph to ensure a good view of both graphs. Copy both graphs and paste them in the answer area below.

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How did you choose the scales you used for the graphs? How does using different scales affect the way you compare the two graphs?

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What are the y-intercepts of each function, and what do they represent?

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What area will have been cleared due to deforestation after 1 year, 5 years, and 10 years?

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Years From Now
Total Area Cleared
(1,000 sq km)
Years From Now
Total Area Cleared
(1,000 sq km)
1

5

10

What area will have been planted by the preservation consortium after 1 year, 5 years, and 10 years?

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Years From Now
Total Area Planted
(1,000 sq km)
1

5

10

What percentage of the area lost to deforestation will have been replanted by the preservation consortium after 1 year, 5 years, and 10 years?

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Years From Now
Percentage
1

5

10

Based on your findings, will the preservation consortium ever be able to restore the rainforest to its original size before it is completely cleared? Explain.

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