Which of the following best describes the effect of "dearth" in a community?

The term "dearth" refers to a significant scarcity or lack of something that is needed or desired, particularly in the context of resources such as food or essential supplies. In a community experiencing dearth, this condition often leads to negative impacts such as famine, hardship, or deprivation, as the community struggles to meet the basic needs of its members. Therefore, the best description of the effect of "dearth" is that it denotes scarcity leading to famine or lack, which directly aligns with the challenges a community faces when its resources are insufficient.

Other choices may reflect different conditions such as abundance, reliability, or balance, but they do not accurately capture the essence of "dearth," which fundamentally revolves around insufficient resources and the ensuing consequences.