How to prevent vector graphics from becoming a raster image while doing a Copy and Paste operation in Inkscape

While using Inkscape on a Macbook, I found that copying and pasting a group of vector graphic elements within Inkscape will convert the vector group into a bitmap image after the paste operation. This may be a problem if I wanted to manipulate the vector elements individually. The problem is shown in the screenshot below - see the circled part of the status bar indicating that the selected graphic is an image with a certain resolution.

To get Inkscape to paste as vector elements, the following steps should be done:

1. In MacOSX, activate the XQuartz application. Then select XQuartz | Preferences.
   
   
   
   The XQuartz Preferences dialog box appears.
   
   
   
2. Click Pasteboard tab. Toggle off Update Pasteboard when CLIPBOARD changes.
   
   
   
3. Close the dialog box.
   

From then on, copying and pasting group of vector elements will no longer result in a conversion of the elements to a bitmap image, as shown in the screenshot below.