Deck 9: Sustaining Biodiversity: The Species Approach

Question 1

What percentage of the world's known plant species have been examined for medicinal properties?

A) 0.5%
B) 5%
C) 10%
D) 25%
E) 33%

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The estimate of the background extinction rate is thought to be too low.Which explanation for why the estimate may be low is false?

A) The rate is likely to increase sharply in the next 50-100 years.
B) Current and projected extinction rates in biodiversity hotspots are higher than the global average.
C) Tropical forests,coral reefs,and wetlands are being fragmented and degraded.
D) Long-term species recovery is threatened by available areas such as tropical forest,coral reefs,and wetlands.
E) The growing human population is using fewer resources per person.

Answer 2

E

Question 3

What percentage of the world's 10,000 bird species is declining in number?

A) 95%
B) 70%
C) 50%
D) 33%
E) 25%

Answer 3

B

Question 4

____ are most threatened with extinction because of human activities.

A) Amphibians
B) Mammals
C) Birds
D) Reptiles
E) Insects

Question 5

Four of the following are characteristics that make some species especially vulnerable to ecological and biological extinction.One of the following is not such a characteristic.Which one is it?

A) low reproductive rates
B) small territories
C) feeds at high trophic level
D) narrow distribution
E) rare

Question 6

The key role of a honeybee is to ____ plants and flowers.

A) pollinate
B) populate
C) produce
D) protect
E) preserve

Question 7

Bees use ____ to make ____.

A) nectar;honey
B) pollen;honey
C) pollen;nectar
D) honey;pollen
E) honey;nectar

Question 8

A threatened species ____.

A) may soon become extinct over all or most of its range
B) is one that is evolving into another species
C) is one that is likely to become endangered
D) is thought to be endangered,but the data is inconclusive
E) may be considered economically important but rare

Question 9

Colony collapse disorder is ____.

A) limited to Europe
B) limited to the U.S.
C) when honey bees leave in winter and don't return to their hives in spring
D) the disintegration of bee hives
E) experienced by members of the bee colony after the queen's death

Question 10

Biologists think there are four major reasons why we should work to prevent human activities from causing the extinction of other species.Which of the following is not one of these reasons?

A) Species are part of the earth's life support system.
B) Most species contribute to services that support our economies.
C) It will take from 5 million to 10 million years to rebuild the biodiversity.
D) We need animals,especially rare animals,for zoos.
E) Each species has a right to exist even if it isn't useful to us.

Question 11

The extinction of many species in a relatively short period of geologic time is called ____.

A) mass extinction
B) secondary extinction
C) biological extinction
D) background extinction rate
E) tertiary extinction

Question 12

Bioprospectors are ____.

A) miners that cause the extinction of plants and animals
B) people who search for plants and animals scientist can use to make medicinal drugs
C) plants that contain phytochemicals
D) conservation biologists that promote ecotourism
E) people who decide which species should be protected

Question 13

Throughout the 3.5 billion year history of life on the earth,there has been a natural,low rate of species extinction know as ____.

A) mass extinction
B) secondary extinction
C) biological extinction
D) background extinction rate
E) tertiary extinction

Question 14

If estimates of an extinction rate 10,000 times greater than the background rate are correct,then what percentage of all species will be extinct by the end of this century?

A) 5 - 10%
B) 10 - 25%
C) 25 - 33%
D) 25 - 50%
E) 60 - 75%

Question 15

An endangered species ____.

A) may soon become extinct over all or most of its range
B) is one that is evolving into another species
C) is one that may become rare in the next 100 years
D) may eventually become threatened or rare
E) may be considered economically important but rare

Question 16

The rate at which extinctions occurred prior to the evolution of modern humans is called the ____.

A) E.O.Wilson postulate
B) species diversity index
C) living planet index
D) baseline extinction rate
E) background extinction rate

Question 17

Because birds live in every climate and biome,and because they are easy to track and count,they serve as excellent ____.

A) keystone species
B) scapegoats
C) indicator species
D) aesthetic indicators
E) habitat determiners

Question 18

Biodiversity hotspots are ____.

A) tropical areas where extinction is occurring
B) islands where extinction is occurring
C) areas with a variety of threatened or endangered species
D) large areas with a variety of thriving species
E) ecosystems that are acting to slow climate change

Question 19

After a mass extinction,what happens to biodiversity rates?

A) They never recover.
B) They quickly recover.
C) They recover over thousands of years.
D) They recover over millions of years.
E) They stabilize at a "new normal."

Question 20

Biodiversity experts estimate that during this century,the extinction rate due to human activities will rise to ____ times the background extinction rate.

A) 3
B) 10
C) 20
D) 100
E) 10,000

Question 21

Some toxic chemicals,such as those in DDT,can be stored in the fat tissue of animals.As these animals become food for larger and larger animals,the amount of the toxin gets larger and larger.What is this process called?

A) biophilia
B) biosphere
C) biotechnology
D) biomagnification
E) iophosphoresence

Question 22

Four of the following have resulted in an increase in hunting bushmeat;one has not.Which one is not a cause of this increase?

A) rapidly growing human population
B) trying to make a living supplying restaurants with exotic meat
C) spread of AIDS
D) overfishing of ocean fish
E) accessibility to remote areas

Question 23

Which statement about the introduction of non-native species is false?

A) This is the second largest threat to animal and plant ecosystems.
B) Non-native species provide no benefits tin their new habitats.
C) Introduced species do not have natural predators in their new ecosystem.
D) Non-native trees are grown in 85% of the world's tree plantations.
E) Invasive species rarely cause global extinctions of other species.

Question 24

According to researchers,the greatest threat to wild species is ____.

A) habitat destruction
B) invasive species
C) population and resource use growth
D) pollution
E) climate change

Question 25

Which effect below is not a result of global warming?

A) The warming atmosphere is occurring twice as fast in the Arctic.
B) The polar bear's hunting season is getting longer.
C) Arctic ice is melting more rapidly.
D) The amount of floating sea ice in the Arctic during the summer is decreasing.
E) Floating sea ice is breaking up earlier each year.

Question 26

When the Endangered Species Act was established in 1973,the list included 92 U.S.species.In 2010,that number had risen to ____.

A) 356
B) 507
C) 770
D) 1,000
E) 1,394

Question 27

Illegal hunting for profit is called ____.

A) subsistence hunting
B) sport hunting
C) commercial hunting
D) poaching
E) pilfering

Question 28

What species was intentionally introduced into the United States?

A) kudzu
B) gypsy moth
C) zebra mussel
D) brown tree snake
E) common pigeon

Question 29

A 2006 study estimated the total polar bear population is likely to decline by how much by 2025?

A) 10-15%
B) 20-25%
C) 30-35%
D) 40-45%
E) 50+ %

Question 30

The biggest problem with invasive species is that in the new location,they ____.

A) are always bigger than native species
B) have no population controls such as predators
C) are always stronger than native species
D) have higher reproductive rates than native species
E) evolve more quickly than native species

Question 31

Which scenario would be allowed under a habitat conservation plan?

A) Landowners would be permanently exempt from the ESA.
B) The federal government would be exempt from the ESA.
C) A landowner,logger,or developer could destroy some critical habitat.
D) Landowners could get approval to let some species go extinct.
E) Protection of endangered species could be made voluntary on private land.

Question 32

Which invasive species threatens the Florida Everglades?

A) kudzu
B) pythons
C) zebra mussels
D) nutrias
E) sea lampreys

Question 33

When a large,contiguous area of habitat is reduced in area and divided into smaller,more scattered patches,the process is called ____.

A) habitat elimination
B) habitat exploitation
C) resource partitioning
D) habitat fragmentation
E) resource loss

Question 34

HIPPCO is a(n)____.

A) species of hippopotamus
B) company specializing in solving environmental problems
C) government program
D) acronym summarizing causes of extinction
E) environmental rock band

Question 35

In terms of habitat destruction,the greatest eliminator of species is the ____.

A) pollution of streams,lakes,and oceans
B) destruction of coral reefs
C) destruction of wetlands
D) plowing of grasslands
E) deforestation in tropical areas

Question 36

The best way to limit the impact of invasive species is to ____.

A) use pesticides to reduce their numbers
B) import and release their natural predators
C) prevent them from being introduced in the first place
D) hire lots of people and destroy them
E) alter their genes so they all die

Question 37

Population declines among birds,especially long-distance migrant birds,have several primary causes.Which of the following is not one of these?

A) habitat loss and fragmentation
B) introduction of nonnative species
C) collisions with power lines,towers,and skyscrapers
D) intentional poisoning of food supplies
E) climate change

Question 38

DDT use in the 1950s and 1960s was nearly responsible for the extinction of what familiar bird species?

A) red-tailed hawk
B) common pigeon
C) chicken
D) bald eagle
E) cardinal

Question 39

Which of the following statements about kudzu is false?

A) It provides a starch used in beverages and gourmet confections.
B) It provides herbal remedies for several diseases.
C) It can be controlled by normal weed control measures.
D) Almost every part of the plant is edible.
E) It is a source of fiber for paper that could replace use of trees.

Question 40

The most far-reaching and controversial environmental law ever adopted requiring the identification of endangered and threatened species is ____.

A) CITES
B) the Convention of Biological Diversity Treaty
C) the Endangered Species Act
D) the National Fish and Wildlife Law
E) HIPPCO

Question 41

There are many actions an individual can do take to help protect endangered and threatened species.Which of the following is least likely to be effective?

A) Do not purchase products made from endangered or threatened species.
B) Do not purchase animals taken from the wild.
C) Do not purchase plants taken from the wild.
D) Spread the word about the importance of this issue.
E) All of these are important actions to take.

Question 42

In the state of Hawaii,95% of endangered species are endangered because of invasive species.

Question 43

After a mass extinction,the earth's overall biodiversity eventually returns to equal or higher levels.

Question 44

Biologists believe the Endangered Species Act has been successful,but critics say it is a failure.Which argument below supports the critics?

A) The ESA has not been in existence long enough for endangered species to recover.
B) Species are only listed when critically endangered;therefore,many will be lost.
C) More than one-half of listed species are stable or improving,and 99% are still alive.
D) The budget for protecting endangered species amounted to 9 cents per U.S.citizen.
E) Federal regulators have been heavy handed in enforcing the act.

Question 45

The Convention on Biological Diversity,ratified by 191 countries,seeks to reverse the global decline of biodiversity and share the benefits from the use of genetic resources.What has slowed this progress?

A) penalties too severe for violators
B) harsh enforcement mechanisms
C) the lack of ratification by the U.S.
D) focusing on ecosystems rather than individuals
E) consideration for the traditions of indigenous peoples

Question 46

Captive breeding programs in zoos ____.

A) eliminate the need to preserve critical habitats
B) can be used for most species except mammals
C) require the captive population to number between 100 and 500
D) increase the genetic variability of species
E) are very unsuccessful

Question 47

Many biologists consider the rapid loss of the earth's biodiversity to be the most serious and long-lasting environmental problem the world faces.

Question 48

Worldwide,approximately 2,500 species are listed as endangered or threatened.

Question 49

What group of animals receives the most protection by the use of wildlife refuges?

A) small mammals
B) migratory waterfowl
C) large mammals
D) songbirds
E) reptiles

Question 50

The active ingredients in nine of the ten leading prescription drugs originally came from wild organisms.

Question 51

Efforts to control the Argentinean fire ant in the U.S.during the 1960s by spraying pesticides resulted in genetic resistance to pesticides in the fire ants.

Question 52

Island species - often found nowhere else - are especially vulnerable to extinctions when their habitat is destroyed.

Question 53

Four of the following are ways that the pressure can be taken off of some endangered species;one is not.Choose the one that is not.

A) Seed banks to allow retention of plant properties.
B) Botanical gardens grow living endangered plants.
C) Gene banks to preserve genetic information.
D) Harvesting endangered species to preserve their skins and bones.
E) Raising endangered and threatened species on farms for commercial sale.

Question 54

Egg pulling refers to ____.

A) techniques used to extend the breeding span of captured birds
B) collecting eggs from the wild and hatching them
C) using fertility drugs to increase the number of eggs
D) production of hybrids in captive breeding programs
E) collecting unfertilized eggs from ovaries of wild animals

Question 55

According to biological and fossil evidence,all species eventually become extinct.

Question 56

All mass extinctions thus far have been caused by natural phenomena that drastically changed environmental conditions.

Question 57

We know that the introduction of nonnative species often results in unforeseen consequences.This indicates that when introducing nonnative species,we would be well advised to apply the

A) law of action and reaction
B) Occam's razor
C) precautionary principle
D) cautionary concept
E) natural order concept

Question 58

CITES is a(n)____.

A) regulations controlling the introduction of exotic species
B) treaty controlling the international trade in endangered species
C) pact that supports critical ecosystems that support wildlife
D) international organization dedicated to the preservation of endangered species
E) policing agency for the protection of threatened species

Question 59

The greatest eliminator of species is over-hunting and over-fishing.

Question 60

What idea proposes that we take measures to prevent harm to the environment and human health even if the science has not been fully established?

A) precautionary principle
B) cautionary concept
C) Occam's razor
D) partitioning participle
E) natural order concept

Question 61

The passenger pigeon,perhaps the must abundant bird on earth in 1813,was extinct less than one hundred years later because of human activities.

Question 62

One reason why we should work to prevent human activities from causing the extinction of other species is that they are a vital part of the earth's ____________________ system.

Question 63

The ____________________ has the responsibility for identifying and listing endangered and threatened oceans species under the ESA of 1973.

Question 64

____________________ occurs when the population of a species becomes so low that the species can no longer perform a role in its ecosystem.

Question 65

It is easier to remove an invasive species than it is to control its introduction.

Question 66

The rate of species loss and the extent of biodiversity loss are likely to ____________________ during the next 50-100 years as a result of the growth of the world's ____________________ and resource use per person.

Question 67

The only major group of species that have escaped increasing extinction threat are the primates,where less than 10% are currently threatened with extinction.

Question 68

The U.S.____________________ has the responsibility for identifying and listing endangered and threatened species other than ocean species.

Question 69

Burmese and African ____________________ along with several other similar species,have ended up in the Everglades in Florida,after being released by their owners because they did not make good pets.

Question 70

When the loss or major decline of a keystone species leads to population declines and extinctions of other species with strong connections to the keystone species,ecologists say the process is called a _______________.

Question 71

The species-area relationship suggests that,on average,a 90% loss of habitat causes the extinction of ____________________% of the species living in that habitat.

Question 72

We should act to prevent premature extinction of species,in part because they contribute to ____________________,those services that support our economies.

Question 73

A(n)____________________ species has so few individual survivors that the species could soon become extinct over all or most of its natural range.

Question 74

Continuing decline of pollinator populations,such as honeybees,could cause a serious disruption of food production for humans.

Question 75

The ____________________ suggests we should take measures to prevent or reduce harm to the environment and human health even if some of the cause-and-effect relationships have not been fully established scientifically.

Question 76

Organized crime has moved into illegal wildlife smuggling because of the huge profits involved.

Question 77

In ____________________ some or all of the individuals of a critically endangered species are collected for breeding so their offspring can be introduced to the wild

Question 78

A new underground vault on a remote island in the Arctic is a type of _______________ intended to preserve genetic information and endangered plant species by storing their seeds in refrigerated,low-humidity environments.

Question 79

____________________ is the "extinction capital" of the United States.

Question 80

During this century,with global climate change and other human activities,the current extinction rate could reach ____________________ times the background rate of extinction.