What defines a pesticide as a nonselective type?

A nonselective pesticide is characterized by its ability to affect a wide variety of organisms rather than targeting specific species. This broad-spectrum capability means that it can harm many different types of pests, including beneficial insects, plants, and even animals within the environment where it is applied. Nonselective pesticides do not discriminate between harmful pests and beneficial organisms, making them effective for general pest control in situations where specific targeting isn’t practical.

In this context, choices that highlight limited effectiveness, such as targeting specific types of pests or being effective only against weeds, do not align with the definition of nonselective pesticides. Additionally, a pesticide's innocuous effects on human health, while important, do not define its selectivity; a pesticide can still be nonselective while posing varying levels of risk to human health. Thus, the correct identification of a nonselective pesticide is its toxicity to a broad range of species, which is essential for understanding the broader ecological impacts of these chemical agents.