Exam 43: Global Ecology and Conservation Biology

The use of DDT as an insecticide in the United States has been outlawed since 1971, yet is still a problem for certain top-level carnivores in the United States. Which of the following choices best explains this apparent incongruity?

Why were ecologists concerned about the shift in the peak caterpillar season from June 3, 1980, to May 15, 2000?

The biggest challenge that Costa Rica will likely face in its dedication to conservation and restoration in the future is

According to the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA), the difference between an endangered species and a threatened one is that

Suppose you attend a town meeting at which some experts tell the audience that they have performed a cost-benefit analysis of a proposed transit system that would probably reduce overall air pollution and fossil fuel consumption. The analysis, however, reveals that ticket prices will not cover the cost of operating the system when fuel, wages, and equipment are taken into account. As a biologist, you know that if ecosystem services had been included in the analysis the experts might have arrived at a different answer. Why are ecosystem services rarely included in economic analyses?

We should care about loss in biodiversity in the populations of other species because of

If global warming continues at its present rate, which biomes will likely take the place of the coniferous forest (taiga)?

Which of the following examples poses the greatest potential threat to biodiversity?

Which of the following life history traits can potentially influence effective population size (Ne)?

The primary difference between the small-population approach (S-PA) and the declining-population approach (D-PA) to biodiversity recovery is

The word triage originated during World War I and was first used by French doctors in prioritizing patients based on the severity of their wounds, because there were more wounded soldiers in need of urgent care than there were resources to treat them. Conservation biologists have to make similar determinations with degraded ecosystems. Which of the following is the most important consideration when it comes to managing for maintenance of biodiversity?

Which of the following is the most direct threat to biodiversity?

Which of the following best illustrates the sustainable use of a resource?

What is the single greatest threat to biodiversity?

The success with which plants extend their range northward following glacial retreat is best determined by

The introduction of the brown tree snake in the 1940s to the island of Guam has resulted in

If the sex ratio in a population is significantly different from 50:50, then which of the following will always be true?

How might the extinction of some Pacific Island bats called "flying foxes" threaten the survival of over 75% of the tree species in those islands?

What is the biological significance of genetic diversity between populations?

Review the formula for effective population size. Imagine a population of 1,000 small rodents. Of these, 300 are breeding females, 300 are breeding males, and 400 are nonbreeding juveniles. What is the effective population size?