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C1.1 · Assess economic and environmental impacts of artificial selection

Learn to assess economic and environmental impacts of artificial selection through clear examples and targeted practice.

Ontario Grade 11 Biology

Evolution

Ontario Grade 11 Biology — C1.1

A farmer chooses seeds from plants that produce large, sweet fruits. The next crop may show more of those traits. This is artificial selection: people choose which organisms reproduce because they have desired characteristics. The choice can bring benefits, such as a more useful harvest, but it can also create costs or environmental pressures. In this lesson, you will practise weighing both sides instead of calling artificial selection simply good or bad.

What you will learn

Explain artificial selection using a familiar example.
Assess possible economic benefits and costs of selected traits.
Assess environmental impacts, including effects that depend on how a selected organism is raised or grown.
Use evidence and identify limits before reaching a conclusion.

1. From systems to a biological question

In Grade 10 science, you studied cells and systems. A system is a set of parts that work together. A farm is also a system: crops or animals interact with people, land, water, and other living things. A change that helps one part of a system may affect another part.

Artificial selection is the human-directed choice of organisms with desired characteristics to reproduce. A characteristic is a feature that can be observed, such as fruit size, milk production, or a plant's ability to grow in dry conditions. When selected organisms reproduce, their offspring may inherit some of their parents' characteristics. Inheritance does not guarantee that every offspring will have the desired feature.

The central question in C1.1 is not just whether a selected organism produces more. It is whether the economic effects and environmental effects are worthwhile, for whom, and under what conditions. Economic impacts include effects on income, costs, jobs, and the availability or price of products. Environmental impacts include effects on soil, water, air, habitats, and other organisms.

Assess means to make a reasoned judgment using relevant evidence. A strong assessment names benefits and costs, considers who or what is affected, and notes uncertainty. It does not assume that a benefit in one area cancels a harm in another.

People select organisms with desired characteristics for reproduction.
An offspring may inherit selected characteristics, but the outcome is not certain for every individual.
An assessment considers economic and environmental impacts, not only production.

2. Trace the selection and its possible effects

Consider a grower who repeatedly keeps seeds from tomato plants with large fruits. The selected plants reproduce, and the grower chooses again from the next crop. The process is a cycle: observe a characteristic, choose organisms that show it, allow them to reproduce, and assess the results.

The grower's goal is part of the explanation, not proof of an impact. Larger fruit might be easier to sell or more appealing to buyers. Those are possible economic benefits. But the grower may also need more water, labour, storage, or transport, depending on how the crop is grown and handled. The actual result needs evidence.

Selection can also affect the environment. For example, a crop that needs more water could add pressure where water is limited. A crop that grows well with fewer inputs could reduce some demands. These are conditional possibilities, not automatic results of selecting a trait. Growing practices, local conditions, and the traits selected all matter.

A useful evidence model separates three things. First, state the observed pattern, such as a crop producing larger fruit. Second, offer an explanation, such as repeated choice of plants with large fruit. Third, assess impacts using information about costs, sales, resource use, and environmental effects. A pattern alone does not show that selection caused every change or that the change is beneficial overall.

Selection is a repeated choice-and-reproduction process.
A desired trait does not by itself establish economic or environmental benefit.
Separate observations from explanations and impact judgments.

3. A practical framework for assessment

Compare the selected organism with a relevant alternative, such as the earlier crop or another variety grown under similar conditions. Ask what changed and who experiences the change. A farmer may gain income while a nearby community faces greater demand for water. These effects belong in the same assessment, even though they affect different groups.

For economic effects, ask about both revenue and expenses. Does the product sell for more, or is more of it produced? What additional costs arise for seeds, feed, water, labour, storage, or transport? A higher selling price does not prove higher profit if expenses also rise. Do not assume that all farms or buyers receive the same benefit.

For environmental effects, identify the resource or part of the environment involved. Consider water use, soil condition, habitat, and effects on other organisms. Then look for evidence that connects the selected trait and the way it is used to the stated effect. Avoid claiming that a trait always causes a particular environmental result.

Finally, judge the strength of the evidence. A comparison is more useful when the conditions are similar and the information covers relevant costs and effects. A short-term result may not show what happens over a longer period. If important evidence is missing, state that limitation rather than filling the gap with an assumption.

Compare with a relevant alternative and consider who is affected.
Distinguish sales or output from profit by including costs.
Connect environmental claims to evidence and conditions.
State evidence limits and uncertainty.

4. Build a balanced conclusion

A balanced conclusion does not need to give equal space to every possible impact. It should give weight to impacts supported by evidence and explain why they matter. For instance, a strong economic gain might be important, but it does not erase an environmental cost. Instead, describe each impact and make a judgment about the trade-off.

Use careful language. Say that a practice may increase a cost when the result depends on local conditions. Say that evidence suggests an effect when a study supports it but does not establish that the effect occurs everywhere. A clear conclusion can still be decisive while naming its limits.

The framework is useful beyond crops. It can be applied to selected livestock traits, provided the assessment considers both economic outcomes and environmental effects. The details change with the organism and the setting; the need to use evidence does not.

A benefit in one category does not cancel a cost in another.
Use conditional wording when impacts depend on local conditions.
A defensible judgment connects evidence to a stated conclusion.

Questions for assessing impacts

Impact area	Ask	Evidence to seek
Economic	Did income, costs, or product availability change?	Sales, expenses, labour, and a relevant comparison
Environmental	Did resource use or effects on the environment change?	Information about water, soil, habitat, waste, or other organisms
Evidence quality	Does the evidence support the conclusion?	Similar conditions, clear comparisons, and stated limitations

Worked example

Large-fruit tomato selection

A grower selects tomato plants with large fruit for seed production. In a comparison, the selected crop brings in more sales revenue than the alternative crop. It also requires more irrigation, and water is limited in the growing area. Assess the impacts without assuming that higher revenue means higher profit.

Identify the selected trait
The grower chooses plants with large fruit to reproduce. This is artificial selection because people direct which organisms are chosen for reproduction.
Separate the economic measures
The stated evidence shows greater sales revenue. It does not give the extra irrigation cost or other expenses, so it cannot establish greater profit. The economic result is promising but incomplete.
Assess the environmental concern
The selected crop uses more irrigation, and water is limited locally. This supports a concern about pressure on water resources. The size of the effect is not given, so avoid claiming how severe it is.
Make a qualified judgment
The selection may improve sales, but its overall economic value is unknown without cost information. The added water demand is an environmental concern in this setting. A stronger judgment would need evidence about costs and water use.

Answer: The selection has a potential economic benefit because sales revenue is higher, but profit cannot be judged without the added costs. It also raises an environmental concern because irrigation demand is higher where water is limited. More evidence is needed to compare the overall benefits and costs.

Check: The conclusion does not treat sales revenue as profit and ties the environmental concern to the stated local water limit.

Worked example

Selecting livestock for a production trait

A farm selects animals that produce more of a saleable product. The farm reports increased income. A local review also finds that the larger production system needs more feed and creates more waste to manage. Explain what can and cannot be concluded.

Name the economic evidence
The reported increase in income is an economic benefit for the farm. It is not enough to show that net profit increased, because the extra feed and waste-management expenses are not stated.
Name the environmental evidence
More feed is needed and more waste must be managed. These facts identify resource use and waste as environmental considerations. They do not, on their own, tell us the scale of environmental harm.
Avoid an unsupported cause claim
The facts describe a selected production trait and changes in the production system. To claim that selection alone caused every change, we would need a suitable comparison and information about how the animals were raised.
State the limits
A fair assessment needs costs, the way waste is handled, and a relevant comparison. Until then, conclude that income rose while feed use and waste-management demands also rose, not that the practice is automatically beneficial or harmful overall.

Answer: The farm reports an economic gain in income, but the profit effect is uncertain because additional costs are not provided. Feed use and waste-management demands are environmental concerns. Their actual effects, and the extent to which selection explains them, require more evidence.

Check: Income, profit, and environmental impact are treated as related but distinct questions.

Worked example

Choosing between two crop options

A school garden group compares two crop options. Option A is selected for a trait that makes harvesting easier and has lower reported labour costs. Option B has higher labour costs, but the available evidence says it needs less irrigation. Water availability varies from year to year. Recommend how the group should assess the choice.

Compare economic impacts
Option A has lower reported labour costs, which is an economic advantage. The information does not include all expenses or crop income, so it does not establish which option gives the better overall financial result.
Compare environmental impacts
Option B needs less irrigation according to the available evidence. That may be an environmental advantage when water is scarce. Because water availability varies, the importance of this advantage can change by year.
Identify missing evidence
The group should ask whether the options were compared under similar conditions and should seek information about other relevant costs and environmental effects. It should not invent values or assume the same result in every year.
Give a conditional recommendation
If water is scarce and reducing irrigation is a priority, Option B may be preferable despite higher labour costs. If labour costs are the main concern and water is available, Option A may be preferred. The group should make its priorities explicit.

Answer: There is no single recommendation without knowing the group's priorities and local conditions. Option A has a labour-cost advantage; Option B has a lower-irrigation advantage. Compare similar evidence, consider water availability, and state which impact matters most for the decision.

Check: The recommendation changes with conditions and priorities, rather than treating one impact as decisive in every situation.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Treating higher production or sales as proof of higher profit.

Correction: Profit depends on both income and costs. Include added expenses before making a profit claim.

Calling a selected trait environmentally beneficial or harmful in every setting.

Correction: Describe the impact in its local conditions. Resource availability and growing or raising practices can matter.

Assuming every offspring will show the selected characteristic.

Correction: Selection can make a characteristic more common, but it does not guarantee the outcome for each offspring.

Using one observed change to prove that artificial selection caused every related effect.

Correction: Separate the observation from the explanation. Use a relevant comparison and acknowledge other conditions that may affect the result.

Lesson summary

Artificial selection occurs when people choose organisms with desired characteristics to reproduce.
Economic assessment includes benefits and costs, not just output or sales.
Environmental assessment considers resources and effects on the surroundings and other organisms.
Impacts depend on the selected trait and the conditions in which organisms are grown or raised.
A strong conclusion uses evidence, weighs trade-offs, and states what remains uncertain.

Check your understanding

Question 1

A selected crop sells for more, but the evidence gives no information about its extra costs. Which conclusion is best supported?

Its profit is definitely higher.
Its sales revenue is higher, but the profit effect is uncertain.
It has no economic impact.
Its environmental impact must be positive.

Show answer and explanation

Its sales revenue is higher, but the profit effect is uncertain.

Sales revenue is not the same as profit. Extra costs are needed to judge the profit effect.

Question 2

A selected variety uses more water in a region with limited water. What is the strongest assessment?

The variety always damages the environment.
The added water use is a local environmental concern; its full effect needs more evidence.
The variety is economically unsuccessful.
The water demand can be ignored if the crop sells well.

Show answer and explanation

The added water use is a local environmental concern; its full effect needs more evidence.

The stated facts support concern about local water demand, but do not establish that the variety always causes harm.

Question 3

Why should an assessment compare a selected organism with a relevant alternative?

A comparison proves every observed difference was caused by selection.
A comparison helps judge what changed, although conditions and other influences still matter.
A comparison removes the need to consider costs.
A comparison guarantees the same result in every location.

Show answer and explanation

A comparison helps judge what changed, although conditions and other influences still matter.

A relevant comparison helps identify differences. It does not automatically prove their cause or guarantee the result will apply elsewhere.

Key terms

Artificial selection: The human-directed choice of organisms with desired characteristics to reproduce.
Characteristic: An observable feature of an organism, such as fruit size or a production trait.
Economic impact: An effect on matters such as income, costs, jobs, or product availability.
Environmental impact: An effect on the environment, including resources, habitats, and other organisms.
Assess: To make a reasoned judgment using relevant evidence and considering limitations.

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Published by DoAssignment. This reviewed lesson follows Ontario Grade 11 Biology (SBI3U), expectation C1.1. It is a study resource, not an official curriculum publication.

Before publication, content is checked for structure, mathematical or chemical notation, calculations, course boundaries, and readability. Errors can still occur, so corrections are welcomed.

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