Certified Arborist Practice Exam

Which type of disorders typically only affect one plant at a time?

1. Abiotic disorders

2. Biotic disorders

3. Genetic disorders

4. Infectious diseases

The correct answer is: Abiotic disorders

Abiotic disorders typically only affect one plant at a time. These disorders are caused by non-living factors such as extreme temperatures, lack of nutrients, pollutants, or mechanical damage. Since these factors are specific to each plant's environment, abiotic disorders usually impact individual plants rather than spreading to others. In contrast, biotic disorders, genetic disorders, and infectious diseases can spread among multiple plants. Biotic disorders are caused by living organisms like insects or fungi, genetic disorders are inherent to the plant's genetic makeup, and infectious diseases are caused by pathogens like bacteria or viruses, leading to the potential of affecting multiple plants.