#7 - Function

[avengingangel]

Hi. Here, how do you know the succession is referring to forests returning to their natural state when humans stopped burning them (answer D), and not the clearing followed by regular burning (answer A)? Thanks.

[Luke Haqq]

Hi avengingangel,

The reason is that the subject matter of answer (D) occurs directly before "This succession." The demonstrative "this" will refer to something that is right next to it. Though the subject matter in answer (A) also occurs in the previous sentence, the "homogeneous pine forest followed by mixed hardwoods" language is at the end of the sentence, right next to "This succession..."