Read the sentence from paragraph 1 and the dictionary entry for the word support.

It was the continent's largest continuous ecosystem supporting an enormous quantity of plants and animals.

sup·port | \ sə-ˈpȯrt \ verb

1. to assist or help

2. to maintain at a desired level

3. to hold up

4. to sustain or keep alive

Which dictionary definition best reflects the precise meaning of supporting as it is used in the sentence from paragraph 1?

A.
definition 1
B.
definition 2
C.
definition 3
D.
definition 4