A diseased tree exhibits several symptoms. Symptoms that are directly attributable to the disease includes: high levels of water loss across the stem, attack by microbes across the stem, and unusually high levels of insect herbivory. Which structure/tissue is most likely directly affected by the disease?

Cork cambium

Explanation:

The cork cambium is a lateral meristem, the series of tissues consisting of embryonic disk that generates the cork which protects. The cork cambium is also responsible for secondary growth that replaces the epidermis in roots and stems.

Cork cambium.

Explanation:

Cork cambium is a tissue found in vascular plants stem that give rise to Cork and has a layer that contain chlorophyii inside.

It is a lateral meristem that formed as secondary growth which replace the epidermis of stem and roots. It produce Cork which is a protective layer.

When the Cork cambium is affected by the disease, the protective layer is damaged or not produce which normally protect the stem from microbial entry. microbes now invade the cell and begin to feed on the nutrient and water in the stem thereby leading to water loss across the cell.

any abiotic or biotic factor in an ecosystem that causes a population's size to slow or decrease is a limiting factor.