Read this excerpt from a passage.

The prosperity of Europe and the United States during the second half of the nineteenth century led to the brisk growth of the ivory trade. Wealthy people clamored for ivory piano keys as well as for ivory combs, billiards balls, and knife handles. They also wanted works of art carved from ivory.

Hunters and traders (of ivory) created a network that reached around the world. As a result of the trade in ivory, the population of African elephants, which National Geographic placed at approximately 26 million in 1800, was reduced drastically in a single century. By 1900, there were just 10 million African elephants left.

What was an effect of the increase in demand for ivory?

Actors in the ivory trade understood the moral issue involved in killing elephants and took steps to cease trading it.

Ivory products, like piano keys, ivory combs, and billiards balls decreased in price due to the high demand for ivory.

Those in the ivory trade increased their efforts to obtain ivory causing elephant populations to substantially decline.

The National Geographic magazine took more interest in the story and increased its reporting on the topic.

An effect of the increase in demand for ivory was that those in the ivory trade increased their efforts to obtain ivory causing elephant populations to substantially decline. (option C)

Cause and effect in the passage

The passage we are analyzing here presents a cause-and-effect structure. It shows how one thing happened because of another. Here, the cause is the demand for ivory in the 19th century.

The effect of such a cause was the drastic decline in elephant populations in Africa. According to the text, because the demand for ivory increased, more elephants were killed in order to supply that demand. Therefore, elephant populations were reduced.

With the information above in mind, we can select option C as the correct answer.

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