Deck 48: Human Impacts on the Biosphere

Question 1

Of all the species that have ever lived on Earth,how many have gone extinct?  

A) Less than 1%
B) About 10%
C) About 25%
D) About 75%
E) About 99%

Answer 1

E

Question 2

One of the major causes of the endangerment of giant pandas is ____.  

A) habitat loss and fragmentation
B) increasing the effects of chemical pollution
C) a sexually transmitted disease that plagues the giant pandas
D) introduced exotic species into giant panda habitat
E) the excess withdrawal of water from their habitat

Answer 2

A

Question 3

What caused the greatest mass extinction,in terms of species lost,at the end of the Permian?  

A) Global cooling
B) Sea level decline
C) Asteroid impact
D) Overhunting by humans
E) Increased volcanic activity

Answer 3

E

Question 4

Endemic means a species ____.  

A) evolved in one geographic region and lives nowhere else
B) is on its way to extinction
C) feeds only on one type of food
D) is extinct in the wild
E) is completely extinct

Question 5

Habitat fragmentation can reduce biodiversity by ____.  

A) withdrawing an essential resource from native species
B) sterilizing for pollution control
C) eliminating vast tracts of forests
D) introducing more native species into a habitat
E) decreasing human use of natural resources

Question 6

A species that has population levels so low it faces extinction in all or part of its range is designated as ____.  

A) riparian
B) endemic
C) endangered
D) threatened
E) an indicator

Question 7

Polar bears are top predators,and tests on their tissues have shown a surprising ____.  

A) resistance to warming
B) amount of protein
C) resistance to disease
D) amount of mercury and organic pesticides
E) amount of nutrients

Question 8

Sometimes,the decline of one species threatens the survival of another species.Which scenario is an example of this?  

A) Declines in polar bears result in diminished prey populations
B) The arrival of sailors on Mauritius island led to the extinction of dodo birds
C) Declines in eagle populations due to the accumulation of pollutants in their eggs
D) Decline in buffalo caused a drop in native buffalo clover
E) Pollution led to declines in the Texas blink salamander population

Question 9

How many mass extinctions mark the boundaries for geologic time periods?  

A) One
B) Three
C) Five
D) Eight
E) Twelve

Question 10

Which type of species is most likely to go extinct?  

A) Underharvested
B) Endemic
C) Widely distributed
D) Generalist
E) Introduced

Question 11

The current extinction rate driven by humans is estimated to be at least how much greater than the background extinction rate?  

A) 2
B) 5
C) 10
D) 50
E) 100

Question 12

In _________________,an exposed organism accumulates increasing amounts of a chemical pollutant in its tissues over the course of its lifetime.  

A) atmospheric deposition
B) deforestation
C) desertification
D) bioaccumulation
E) biological magnification

Question 13

Which of the following is least likely to be a cause of extinction?  

A) Asteroid impact
B) Human activity
C) Adaptive radiation
D) Continental drift
E) Climate change

Question 14

In a positive feedback cycle,drought encourages ____,which results in more drought.  

A) overgrazing
B) biological magnification
C) bioaccumulation
D) desertification
E) deforestation

Question 15

Ammonia released by fertilizers and animal wastes affect the environment by ____.  

A) combining with sulfur and nitrogen oxides in the air to form salts that end up fertilizing the ground
B) degrading into nitrites and completing the nitrogen cycle
C) poisoning rivers and lakes
D) acidifying oceans
E) accumulating in animal bodies

Question 16

Which of the following is the least direct cause of the current extinction crisis?  

A) Hunting
B) Warming temperatures
C) Overharvesting
D) Habitat degradation
E) Habitat fragmentation

Question 17

Exotic species that are introduced into a non-native habitat can ____.  

A) interbreed with native species
B) drive endemic species to extinction
C) die out due to competition from native species
D) blend in with endemic species
E) create habitat islands for themselves

Question 18

Which of the following conditions rise as a consequence of a thinning ozone layer?  

A) Increased global temperature
B) Increased rain
C) Stronger wind
D) Air pollution
E) Increased rate of skin cancer

Question 19

What encourages flooding by allowing water to run off into streams?  

A) Acid rain
B) Deforestation
C) Desertification
D) Bioaccumulation
E) Biological magnification

Question 20

Practices such ranchers allowing their livestock to overgraze grasslands contribute to ________________ of the habitat.  

A) flooding
B) deforestation
C) desertification
D) bioaccumulation
E) carbon dioxide accumulation

Question 21

____ strips an area of vegetation and soil,creating an ecological dead zone.  

A) Biological magnification
B) Renewable energy
C) Ecological restoration
D) Ground mining
E) Surface mining

Question 22

Changes in temperature affect organisms in temperate climates by altering the following,EXCEPT  

A) animal migration times.
B) breeding seasons.
C) coral reef building.
D) leaf budding time.
E) flowering times.

Question 23

The term for describing a region's biological wealth is called ____.  

A) endemic species
B) hot spots
C) biodiversity
D) endangered species
E) threatened species

Question 24

Due to ____,trophic level affects the pollutant concentration in an organism's tissues.  

A) bioaccumulation
B) biological magnification
C) ecosystem degradation
D) the ozone layer
E) ground-level ozone

Question 25

Work done in Louisiana's coastal wetlands is an example of ____.  

A) ecological restoration
B) a hot spot
C) conservation
D) a habitat island
E) an ecoregion

Question 26

The release of most nitrogen oxides comes from ____.  

A) ammonia-oxidizing bacteria
B) the use of DDT
C) coal-burning power plants
D) drilling for gasoline and oil
E) combustion of gasoline and oil

Question 27

The hole in the ozone layer is most dramatic over ____.  

A) Antarctica
B) North America
C) Asia
D) Europe
E) Africa

Question 28

Which statement about chlorofluorocarbons is FALSE?  

A) They can destroy ozone.
B) They are odorless.
C) They are a greenhouse gas.
D) They break down very slowly.
E) Their action is allowing more UV radiation through the atmosphere.

Question 29

Ultimately,the health of life on Earth depends on our ability to live within our limits.The goal is to live ____.  

A) extravagantly
B) carelessly
C) frugally
D) fearfully
E) sustainably

Question 30

Ozone thinning over Antarctica was so profound that people referred to the lowest ozone region as the _________________.  

A) ozone pollution layer
B) greenhouse effect
C) near-ground ozone
D) radiation zone
E) ozone hole

Question 31

Where does the copper used for wiring and plumbing come from?  

A) Most copper is found in ocean sediments.
B) Most copper is mined from the ground.
C) Most copper is found along riverbanks.
D) All copper is mined from the surface.
E) All copper is manufactured synthetically in factories.

Question 32

The Monteverde Cloud Forest in Costa Rica is an example of a ____.  

A) national park
B) nearly extinct ecosystem
C) restored ecosystem
D) government nature reserve
E) private nature reserve

Question 33

The level of the oceans is rising due to expansion of water volume stemming from ____.  

A) ozone depletion
B) global warming
C) lost species biodiversity
D) increased precipitation
E) acid rain

Question 34

One way in which deforestation contributes to global climate change is that the conversion of forest to cropland or pasture ____.  

A) decreases the amount of methane released by microbes
B) increases the amount of nitrogen oxides in the air
C) decreases the amount of sulfur dioxides in the air
D) increases the rate at which carbon is taken up by plants
E) decreases the rate at which carbon is taken up by plants

Question 35

Which of the following areas is still seeing an increase in deforestation?  

A) United States
B) Europe
C) China
D) Brazil
E) Canada

Question 36

Once they are identified,____ take priority in worldwide conservation efforts.  

A) healthy ecosystems
B) riparian zones
C) hot spots
D) grasslands
E) forests

Question 37

In the United States,solid municipal waste can no longer be dumped ____.  

A) in garbage dumps
B) in biodegradable bags
C) in garbage bags
D) in landfills
E) in the sea

Question 38

The increased acidity of seawater can harm marine life by making ____ available to organisms that require it.  

A) less nitrogen
B) more sulfur dioxide
C) less carbon dioxide
D) more methane
E) less calcium carbonate

Question 39

Which of the following is least likely an impact of acid rain?  

A) It stops fish egg development.
B) It can burn foliage.
C) It releases toxins in the soil.
D) It causes eutrophication.
E) It can kill adult aquatic organisms.

Question 40

Habitats with the most species in greatest danger of extinction,which can be found in tropical developing countries as well as the coasts of the United States,are called ____.  

A) ecoregions
B) island habitats
C) riparian zones
D) biodiversity hot spots
E) conservation islands

Question 41

Choose the one most appropriate answer for each.
a.Species that remains restricted to the area where it evolved
b.Species that fail to turn up signs of any individuals after repeated, extensive surveys of its known range
c.New method of harvesting trees to preserve diversity
d.Field of biology that documents biodiversity, and seeks way to maintain it to ensure our survival
e.Species vulnerable to extinction
f.Work designed to renew or recreate a natural system that has been degraded or destroyed
g.Places that have species found nowhere else and are under great threat of destruction
h.Species likely to become endangered in the near future
i.Chemical pollutant becomes increasingly concentrated as it moves up through food chains
j.Narrow corridor of vegetation along a stream or river
k.An organism builds up increasing amounts of a chemical pollutant it its tissues over time
Conservation biology

Question 42

The rate of extinction picks up dramatically during a(n)__________,when a large proportion of Earth's organisms become extinct in a relatively short period of geologic time.

Question 43

Choose the one most appropriate answer for each.
a.Species that remains restricted to the area where it evolved
b.Species that fail to turn up signs of any individuals after repeated, extensive surveys of its known range
c.New method of harvesting trees to preserve diversity
d.Field of biology that documents biodiversity, and seeks way to maintain it to ensure our survival
e.Species vulnerable to extinction
f.Work designed to renew or recreate a natural system that has been degraded or destroyed
g.Places that have species found nowhere else and are under great threat of destruction
h.Species likely to become endangered in the near future
i.Chemical pollutant becomes increasingly concentrated as it moves up through food chains
j.Narrow corridor of vegetation along a stream or river
k.An organism builds up increasing amounts of a chemical pollutant it its tissues over time
Endemic

Question 44

Choose the one most appropriate answer for each.
a.Species that remains restricted to the area where it evolved
b.Species that fail to turn up signs of any individuals after repeated, extensive surveys of its known range
c.New method of harvesting trees to preserve diversity
d.Field of biology that documents biodiversity, and seeks way to maintain it to ensure our survival
e.Species vulnerable to extinction
f.Work designed to renew or recreate a natural system that has been degraded or destroyed
g.Places that have species found nowhere else and are under great threat of destruction
h.Species likely to become endangered in the near future
i.Chemical pollutant becomes increasingly concentrated as it moves up through food chains
j.Narrow corridor of vegetation along a stream or river
k.An organism builds up increasing amounts of a chemical pollutant it its tissues over time
Bioaccumulation

Question 45

Answer the following questions in reference to the four geologic periods listed below.
a.Cretaceous
b.Anthropocene
c.Devonian
d.Permian
The greatest mass extinction event where 90 to 95 percent of all species were lost

Question 46

Answer the following questions in reference to the four geologic periods listed below.
a.Cretaceous
b.Anthropocene
c.Devonian
d.Permian
Volcanic activity in what is now Siberia released a large amount of carbon into the atmosphere causing extinctions.

Question 47

Answer the following questions in reference to the four geologic periods listed below.
a.Cretaceous
b.Anthropocene
c.Devonian
d.Permian
Human practices are the major agents of extinction.

Question 48

The best way to prevent desertification is to avoid farming in areas that are subject to high ______and periodic __________.

Question 49

Answer the following questions in reference to the four geologic periods listed below.
a.Cretaceous
b.Anthropocene
c.Devonian
d.Permian
Oceans became anoxic,and methane burned on land.

Question 50

When a forest is cut down,daytime temperatures rise and reduced __________ results in less rainfall.

Question 51

Choose the one most appropriate answer for each.
a.Species that remains restricted to the area where it evolved
b.Species that fail to turn up signs of any individuals after repeated, extensive surveys of its known range
c.New method of harvesting trees to preserve diversity
d.Field of biology that documents biodiversity, and seeks way to maintain it to ensure our survival
e.Species vulnerable to extinction
f.Work designed to renew or recreate a natural system that has been degraded or destroyed
g.Places that have species found nowhere else and are under great threat of destruction
h.Species likely to become endangered in the near future
i.Chemical pollutant becomes increasingly concentrated as it moves up through food chains
j.Narrow corridor of vegetation along a stream or river
k.An organism builds up increasing amounts of a chemical pollutant it its tissues over time
Extinct species

Question 52

Elephants are killed for their tusks and rhinos for their horns.This is an example of __________ for traditional medicine and ornaments.

Question 53

By the process of __________,an organism's tissues store a pollutant taken up from the environment,causing the amount in the body to increase over time.

Question 54

Choose the one most appropriate answer for each.
a.Species that remains restricted to the area where it evolved
b.Species that fail to turn up signs of any individuals after repeated, extensive surveys of its known range
c.New method of harvesting trees to preserve diversity
d.Field of biology that documents biodiversity, and seeks way to maintain it to ensure our survival
e.Species vulnerable to extinction
f.Work designed to renew or recreate a natural system that has been degraded or destroyed
g.Places that have species found nowhere else and are under great threat of destruction
h.Species likely to become endangered in the near future
i.Chemical pollutant becomes increasingly concentrated as it moves up through food chains
j.Narrow corridor of vegetation along a stream or river
k.An organism builds up increasing amounts of a chemical pollutant it its tissues over time
Biodiversity hot spots

Question 55

Choose the one most appropriate answer for each.
a.Species that remains restricted to the area where it evolved
b.Species that fail to turn up signs of any individuals after repeated, extensive surveys of its known range
c.New method of harvesting trees to preserve diversity
d.Field of biology that documents biodiversity, and seeks way to maintain it to ensure our survival
e.Species vulnerable to extinction
f.Work designed to renew or recreate a natural system that has been degraded or destroyed
g.Places that have species found nowhere else and are under great threat of destruction
h.Species likely to become endangered in the near future
i.Chemical pollutant becomes increasingly concentrated as it moves up through food chains
j.Narrow corridor of vegetation along a stream or river
k.An organism builds up increasing amounts of a chemical pollutant it its tissues over time
Biological magnification

Question 56

For the purposes of conservation,a species is considered __________ in the wild if the only known members of the species are in captivity.

Question 57

Choose the one most appropriate answer for each.
a.Species that remains restricted to the area where it evolved
b.Species that fail to turn up signs of any individuals after repeated, extensive surveys of its known range
c.New method of harvesting trees to preserve diversity
d.Field of biology that documents biodiversity, and seeks way to maintain it to ensure our survival
e.Species vulnerable to extinction
f.Work designed to renew or recreate a natural system that has been degraded or destroyed
g.Places that have species found nowhere else and are under great threat of destruction
h.Species likely to become endangered in the near future
i.Chemical pollutant becomes increasingly concentrated as it moves up through food chains
j.Narrow corridor of vegetation along a stream or river
k.An organism builds up increasing amounts of a chemical pollutant it its tissues over time
Endangered species

Question 58

Choose the one most appropriate answer for each.
a.Species that remains restricted to the area where it evolved
b.Species that fail to turn up signs of any individuals after repeated, extensive surveys of its known range
c.New method of harvesting trees to preserve diversity
d.Field of biology that documents biodiversity, and seeks way to maintain it to ensure our survival
e.Species vulnerable to extinction
f.Work designed to renew or recreate a natural system that has been degraded or destroyed
g.Places that have species found nowhere else and are under great threat of destruction
h.Species likely to become endangered in the near future
i.Chemical pollutant becomes increasingly concentrated as it moves up through food chains
j.Narrow corridor of vegetation along a stream or river
k.An organism builds up increasing amounts of a chemical pollutant it its tissues over time
Threatened species

Question 59

Answer the following questions in reference to the four geologic periods listed below.
a.Cretaceous
b.Anthropocene
c.Devonian
d.Permian
Asteroid impact at the K-T boundary caused extinctions.

Question 60

Choose the one most appropriate answer for each.
a.Species that remains restricted to the area where it evolved
b.Species that fail to turn up signs of any individuals after repeated, extensive surveys of its known range
c.New method of harvesting trees to preserve diversity
d.Field of biology that documents biodiversity, and seeks way to maintain it to ensure our survival
e.Species vulnerable to extinction
f.Work designed to renew or recreate a natural system that has been degraded or destroyed
g.Places that have species found nowhere else and are under great threat of destruction
h.Species likely to become endangered in the near future
i.Chemical pollutant becomes increasingly concentrated as it moves up through food chains
j.Narrow corridor of vegetation along a stream or river
k.An organism builds up increasing amounts of a chemical pollutant it its tissues over time
Ecological restoration

Question 61

What do aquatic groups ranging from foraminifera,to corals,to bivalve mollusks require in order to build their hard parts?  

A) Oxalic acid
B) Potassium carbonate
C) Protein
D) Calcium carbonate
E) Iron oxide

Question 62

In 1987,countries worldwide agreed to phase the production of ____________,once a major ozone destroyer,to reduce ozone layer thinning.

Question 63

The most eco-friendly strategy to minimize our use of nonrenewable mineral sources is _____________.  

A) chemically synthesizing them
B) reducing consumption
C) utilizing bio-based alternatives
D) deep mining instead of surface mining
E) bacterial remediation

Question 64

A lifestyle that meets the needs of the present generation without reducing the ability of future generations to meet their own needs is referred to as _______ living.

Question 65

What is causing the seawater to become more acidic?  

A) CO₂ dissolves in solution.
B) Helium dissolves in solution.
C) H₂ dissolves in solution.
D) HCl dissolves in solution.
E) Cl- dissolves in solution.

Question 66

A region's biodiversity is measured at three levels: _____ within species,_______diversity,and _______diversity.

Question 67

Which of the following statements is NOT correct regarding nonrenewable fuel resources?  

A) Burning these nonrenewable fuels contributes to global warming.
B) Burning these nonrenewable fuels contributes to acid rain.
C) Extracting and transporting these fuels has negative ecological impacts.
D) Oil harms species when it leaks from pipelines, ships, or wells.
E) Nonrenewable energy sources do not produce greenhouse gases.