Deck 23: Conservation Biology

Question 1

The red-cockaded woodpecker in the North Carolina Sandhills has been severely reduced in numbers in the last 100 years due to

A) breeding near a bombing range.
B) fire.
C) invasive species.
D) loss of habitat.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Currently, about one percent of all known species of organisms are threatened with extinction. This percentage is likely to be an underestimate because many species

A) have not yet been identified or evaluated.
B) have high populations but are actually endangered.
C) have been inaccurately evaluated by non-scientists.
D) are naturally rare, and therefore endangered, but have not been listed.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which study would best fit into the science of conservation biology?

A) A computer study of genetic differences in agricultural crop species
B) A study of the distribution of tree species by latitude
C) A study of changes in biodiversity of two ponds, with and without human activity
D) A study of various methods for managing a forest in response to climate change

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Refer to the table.


- Among the plants in the table, the total number of threatened species by 2019 is highest in the

A) gymnosperms.
B) angiosperms.
C) mosses.
D) ferns and allies.

Question 5

Refer to the table.


- As of 2019, out of all documented endangered species, what percentage of insects evaluated were considered threatened?

A) About 5.7%
B) About 8.2%
C) About 29.9%
D) About 47.0%

Question 6

The activity of an earthworm species increases the fertility of soils in an agricultural field. This is an example of

A) ecosystem management.
B) an ecosystem service.
C) restoration management.
D) a surrogate service.

Question 7

A conservation biologist has been asked to explain why it is important to protect biodiversity. She would list all of the following reasons except for which one?

A) Humans are dependent on many species for food, medicines, fiber, and other necessities.
B) Biodiversity can be exploited indefinitely for the profit of humans.
C) Other species have inherent value and humans have a moral obligation to protect them.
D) Biodiverse ecosystems provide ecosystem services that sustain all life on Earth.

Question 8

In the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, several massive losses of organisms occurred. Bison, passenger pigeons, and many other birds declined rapidly or went extinct. Most deciduous forests and prairies were replaced by agricultural fields. These changes led to

A) an increase in biodiversity, as natural processes sped up to replace the losses.
B) an increase in biodiversity, as citizens spontaneously responded to the losses.
C) the rise of conservation biology, as people became concerned about biodiversity losses.
D) an increase in the number of ecologists, who were needed to study the remaining species.

Question 9

Refer to the figure.
The green in the figure represents forest cover in western Ecuador at three different times. The decreasing amount of forest cover is most representative of

A) declining biodiversity in the region.
B) the conservation work of Alwyn Gentry.
C) the impact of climate change on forest habitats.
D) the difficulty of identifying endangered species.

Question 10

Scientists have great difficulty determining how rapidly Earth's eukaryotic species are going extinct. This is primarily because

A) there are so many species that it is difficult to calculate gains and losses.
B) species are continually being discovered, and the total number on Earth is unknown.
C) the current trend of measuring microbial diversity complicates the calculations.
D) loss of habitat makes it more difficult to find and count remaining species.

Question 11

Suppose the background extinction rate of birds is 5 per 1,000 years. During the twentieth century, 17 birds went extinct. The extinction rate of birds is now about how many times the background rate?

A) 3
B) 17
C) 34
D) 170

Question 12

Which method of estimating extinction rates can be considered a direct, rather than an indirect, method?

A) Comparing current extinction rates to a background rate determined from the fossil record
B) Using the species-area relationship to calculate likely species loss given habitat loss
C) Measuring actual number of species present in an area each decade for several centuries
D) Using changes over time in conservation status, e.g., from endangered to critically endangered

Question 13

The use of species‒area relationships to predict extinction rates assumes that most extinction is due to

A) invasive species.
B) overexploitation.
C) habitat loss.
D) global climate change.

Question 14

Refer to the figure.
The figure shows results of Steadman's study of bird species on the Pacific Islands. According to this figure, the study demonstrated that

A) humans have had an impact on ecosystems for thousands of years.
B) Earth's biota is becoming increasingly homogenized.
C) extinctions eliminate individual species but have little effect on ecological communities.
D) it is difficult to determine when a species becomes extinct.

Question 15

Refer to the figure.
This figure shows results of Steadman's study of bird extinctions in the Pacific Islands, specifically differing rates of extinctions among different guilds of birds. Based on this information, the extinction of which guild(s) of birds probably had the greatest effect on the island's plant communities?

A) Frugivores
B) Nectarivores
C) Omnivores
D) Insectivores and predators

Question 16

Reductions in the population size of the graceful antelope, a hypothetical species, have led to inbreeding. Deleterious after-effects of that inbreeding are leading to further decreases in the population size of this species. This pattern is an example of a(n)

A) extinction vortex.
B) background extinction.
C) anthropogenic Allee effect.
D) mass extinction.

Question 17

The range of a species of vole starts contracting at its edges. Slowly, the contraction continues. Eventually, the population can persist only in what used to be the center of its range. Based on this information, the most likely cause of the range contraction is

A) an invasive species.
B) climate change.
C) small population size effects.
D) background extinction.

Question 18

Refer to the figure.
The figure documents the effects of the loss of bird pollinators on reproductive success in a New Zealand shrub. In this study, bagged flowers allow only self-pollination, open flowers allow bird pollination, and humans carry out hand pollination. Reproductive success occurs when flowers produce seeds. This study suggests that pollination by birds

A) is essential for reproductive success.
B) strongly increases reproductive success.
C) strongly decreases reproductive success.
D) has little or no effect on reproductive success.

Question 19

The introduction of invasive plant species all over the world and the resulting extinction of native, endemic species has led to

A) genetic homogenization.
B) taxonomic homogenization.
C) taxonomic diversity.
D) anthropogenic Allee effects.

Question 20

Which of these is an example of taxonomic homogenization?

A) Decrease in distribution of non-native species in crater lakes in Africa
B) Replacement of endemic snails on Pacific islands by invasive species
C) Hybridization of California tiger salamanders with another species
D) Addition of invasive generalist species to native communities

Question 21

Refer to the figure.
The figure shows changes in biodiversity of different groups on continents versus oceanic islands. Based on this information, it can be said that, as compared to continents, oceanic islands

A) are more biodiverse.
B) show greater average increases in plants, fishes, and birds.
C) show rapid increases in endemic species over time.
D) receive more non-native species through immigration or introduction.

Question 22

For any given species or larger taxonomic group, such as mammals, extinction is most likely caused by

A) habitat loss.
B) climate change.
C) overexploitation.
D) multiple threats.

Question 23

A highway severely inhibits movements of Florida cooters (a species of turtle) between sections of their habitat. For the cooters, this situation is one of habitat

A) degradation.
B) fragmentation.
C) loss.
D) homogenization.

Question 24

Which of these is an example of habitat degradation, rather than habitat loss?

A) Cutting a rainforest to make agricultural land
B) Filling a wetland to expand a city
C) Polluting a river with agricultural waste
D) Dredging a river or bay to allow ships to dock

Question 25

The acidification of oceans due to carbon dioxide diffusion into the water has had serious deleterious consequences for corals and other species. For some species, however, the acidification has had little, if any, effect. Thus, the best term to describe the overall effect of ocean acidification on marine life is habitat

A) degradation.
B) fragmentation.
C) loss.
D) homogenization.

Question 26

The Eurasian zebra mussels found in North America are an example of a(n)

A) invasive species that is preying upon native species.
B) invasive species that is outcompeting native species.
C) species that has become threatened due to habitat fragmentation.
D) species that has been brought back from the brink of extinction by ex situ conservation.

Question 27

The Nile perch in Africa's Lake Victoria is an example of a(n)

A) species that has become threatened due to habitat loss.
B) invasive predator that is adversely affecting native species.
C) flagship species.
D) umbrella species.

Question 28

Asian long-horned beetles, introduced into North America, lay their eggs in almost any available deciduous tree. The larvae eat the soft bark and sap, making it difficult for nutrients to reach other parts of the tree, then burrow into the middle of it, leaving large tunnels and weakening the tree. Adult beetles emerge from the tree by burrowing through the bark, leaving large holes. Many trees do not survive these infestations. Asian long-horned beetles thus impact native species by

A) out-competing them.
B) preying on and killing them.
C) destroying their habitat.
D) specifically attacking rare species.

Question 29

The horns of rhinos are used to make a powder that is believed by many to have aphrodisiac properties. Due to extensive hunting, the rhino population has been declining, making their horns even more valuable. The increasing value of the horns, in turn, has intensified the hunt for rhinos. This situation is best described as

A) an anthropogenic Allee effect.
B) an extinction vortex.
C) a background extinction.
D) taxonomic homogenization.

Question 30

Refer to the figure.
The figure shows the tons of cod caught off Newfoundland, Canada over 150 years. The spike in catch during the 1960s and 1970s, followed by the collapse of the fishery in the 1990s could be considered evidence of

A) overexploitation of an economically important species.
B) the devastating effect of bycatch on an important fishery.
C) the result of severe ocean pollution beginning in the 1960s.
D) the ability of a species to recover from a collapse.

Question 31

Refer to the figure.
The figure shows the change in size (mean length) of predatory marine fish caught as trophy fish over a period of years off of Key West, Florida. What happened to the size of fish during this time?

A) Size remained stable throughout the time period.
B) Size decreased throughout the time period.
C) Size remained stable until about 1980 and then increased.
D) Size remained stable until about 1980 and then decreased.

Question 32

Refer to the figure.
The top figure shows concentrations of PCBs in killer whales and harbor seals at several locations. The bottom figure shows concentrations of PBDEs in both groups of mammals. These persistent organic chemicals build up in animal tissues and disrupt their endocrine systems, including reproductive systems. What is the most reasonable conclusion that can be drawn regarding the effect of these chemicals based on the data in these figures?

A) The levels of both types of chemicals have been high, but are now decreasing.
B) The levels of both types of chemicals vary by population, but some are dangerously high.
C) The levels of both types of chemicals are often high, but never dangerously so.
D) In most cases, harbor seals appear to concentrate and remove the chemicals, where killer whales do not.

Question 33

Refer to the figure.
The figure shows the current level of threat faced by each biome from a variety of sources. The arrows show the direction whether the threat is decreasing, continuing, increasing, or rapidly increasing.

- In which biome is climate change currently a high or very high threat?

A) Tropical forest
B) Temperate grassland
C) Polar
D) Marine

Question 34

Refer to the figure.
The figure shows the current level of threat faced by each biome from a variety of sources. The arrows show the direction whether the threat is decreasing, continuing, increasing, or rapidly increasing.

-In which biome does habitat loss pose a very high and rapidly increasing risk?

A) Polar
B) Coastal
C) Tropical forest
D) Temperate grassland

Question 35

Refer to the figure.
The figure shows the current level of threat faced by each biome from a variety of sources. The arrows show the direction whether the threat is decreasing, continuing, increasing, or rapidly increasing.

-Which two threats, regardless of their past effect (from low to very high) are currently showing a rapidly increasing risk in all biomes?

A) Habitat loss and climate change
B) Climate change and pollution (nitrogen/phosphorus)
C) Climate change and invasive species
D) Overexploitation and pollution (nitrogen/phosphorus)

Question 36

Given that few species are known to be directly jeopardized by climate change, why is climate change considered a major ecological threat?

A) Change is occurring so rapidly that many more species will soon be affected.
B) The species known to be affected are vital to life on Earth.
C) The effects of climate change, once begun, cannot be stopped or mitigated.
D) Any threat, such as climate change, that is currently low will inevitably increase in the future.

Question 37

Two genetic consequences of small population size that affect the survival of species are

A) inbreeding and increase in genetic variability.
B) hybridization and loss of genetic variability.
C) hybridization and increase in genetic variability.
D) inbreeding and loss of genetic variability.

Question 38

Genetic rescue of endangered species would be most useful in a species that

A) has a low population and low genetic diversity.
B) has few deleterious alleles, so it can be safely hybridized.
C) cannot be hybridized, due to lack of close relatives.
D) is small enough to make gene therapy a viable option.

Question 39

Refer to the figure.
The figure depicts the results of a study of the attempted genetic rescue of the Florida panther by importing eight females from a Texas population. How did the hybridization of these two subspecies affect the occurrence of the three measured genetic defects?

A) All defects increased significantly after hybridization.
B) All defects decreased significantly after hybridization.
C) All defects decreased, but decreases were too small to be significant.
D) Testicular retention and kinked tail decreased, but heart problems remained about the same.

Question 40

The worldwide demand for ivory has led to widespread slaughter of African elephants. A ban on ivory led to poaching and a thriving illegal trade in ivory. In response, conservationists employed DNA testing to obtain forensic evidence for elephant slaughter, much as forensics experts do to solve human crimes. What is the most specific information that DNA profiles are likely to provide in crimes related to poaching and illegal trade in animals or animal parts?

A) The location where the stolen animals/animal parts were sold
B) The perpetrator(s) of the crime (the person/people who killed the animals)
C) The scene of the crime (the general location where the poached animals originated)
D) The identity of the individual animal(s) slaughtered during the poaching activity

Question 41

Population viability analysis (PVA) is useful for all of these reasons except that biologists can use it to

A) calculate the likelihood that a particular species will persist for a certain amount of time under various conditions.
B) determine likely future habitat conditions with great accuracy.
C) evaluate different options for protecting threatened species.
D) identify particularly vulnerable age or stage classes.

Question 42

Biologists brought California condors back from the threat of extinction by

A) facilitating their breeding in sheltered conditions.
B) removing threatening invasive species.
C) genetically engineering them to improve their fitness.
D) restoring their habitat in North America.

Question 43

Several endangered birds are under consideration for use of an ex situ conservation program to save their species. Species A lives in a relatively stable habitat but is extremely rare. Species B is also extremely rare, and lives in a habitat threatened by possible human expansion. Numbers of species C have plummeted in the last 50 years to less than a hundred individuals and the survivors live in a habitat that is declining but could be improved over time. Which of these species should conservationists choose for their ex situ program?

A) Species A, because of its rarity.
B) Species B, because of the potential human threat.
C) Species C, because of its rapid decline and its recoverable habitat.
D) Any of the three species, because their situations are relatively similar.

Question 44

Most conservation biologists think that the best approach to protecting overexploited species is to

A) propagate them in captivity.
B) make all harvesting illegal.
C) determine biologically sustainable levels of harvest and establish regulations to permit only those levels.
D) create incentives for finding alternatives to replace the overexploited species.

Question 45

The rarest species would likely be one with a

A) small population size, small geographic range, and restricted habitat specificity.
B) small population size, large geographic range, and restricted habitat specificity.
C) large population size, small geographic range, and broad habitat specificity.
D) small population size, small geographic range, and broad habitat specificity.

Question 46

The cheetah has helped garner public support for various conservation projects due in part to its charismatic nature. For this reason, the cheetah could best be classified as what type of species?

A) Surrogate
B) Flagship
C) Umbrella
D) Focal

Question 47

The grizzly bear has habitat requirements that overlap substantially with those of other endangered species. For this reason, the grizzly could best be classified as what type of species?

A) Keystone
B) Invasive
C) Umbrella
D) Focal

Question 48

Researchers have helped increase the abundance of the red-cockaded woodpecker by

A) constructing artificial nest cavities.
B) vaccinating the birds against parasites.
C) placing bird feeders in their area.
D) stopping all burning in the longleaf pine ecosystem.

Question 49

List several reasons that it might be important to preserve biodiversity. Which of these reasons do you think is most important and why?

Question 50

There are many threats to Earth's biodiversity, and these threats are constantly changing in type and severity. Based on currently evolving threats, what trends are likely in the future of conservation biology? That is, what fields of research and/or methods of maintaining biodiversity might become more important in the near future?

Question 51

Compare past and present extinction rates, and predict future extinction rates based on current trends.

Question 52

Describe taxonomic homogenization and give an example. How does it affect biodiversity and extinction of species?

Question 53

Why is habitat loss is considered the most important threat to biodiversity? How do habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation compare as potential threats?

Question 54

Describe some ways in which overexploitation affects biodiversity loss, with examples.

Question 55

Tropical cloud forests are extremely biodiverse, but are strongly affected by climate change, leading to a loss of many unique species. Conservationists want to preserve a species of frog unique to the cloud forests of Costa Rica. How might demographic models help in this effort?

Question 56

The vaquita, a tiny marine porpoise, is found only in the northern Gulf of California, and is the most endangered marine mammal in the world. There are only 10-15 individuals left. They are caught and killed in gillnets used to capture the totoaba, a fish that is caught illegally and sold in China. Give reasons for and against using ex situ conservation to prevent extinction of the vaquita.

Question 57

Should all rare species be protected? Why or why not? What factors should be used in making such a determination?

Question 58

Of the various types of surrogate species-flagship, focal, and umbrella species-which type, if any, would likely be most valuable in a conservation effort? Justify your choice.

Question 59

A conservation biologist is studying the variation that occurs in the species composition of ponds in a region. This scientist is studying which level of biodiversity?

A) Species diversity
B) Community diversity
C) Genetic diversity within species
D) Both genetic and species diversity

Question 60

A bee pollinating an important agricultural crop is an example of

A) ecosystem management.
B) an ecosystem service.
C) restoration management.
D) a surrogate service.

Question 61

The major factor leading to the extinction of the passenger pigeon was

A) habitat loss.
B) climate change.
C) overharvesting.
D) the introduction of an invasive species.

Question 62

Suppose the background extinction rate of amphibians is 8 per 1,000 years and that during the twentieth century, 20 amphibians went extinct. The extinction rate of amphibians is now about how many times the background rate?

A) 4
B) 8
C) 25
D) 40

Question 63

Which factor is not part of the growing taxonomic homogenization of Earth's biota?

A) Increases in the number of native specialist species
B) Decreases in the distribution of native specialist species
C) Increases in the number of native generalist species
D) Rapid spread of introduced species

Question 64

Over the past few centuries, human populations and their levels of resource use have exploded. This has led to an increasing loss of biodiversity, but the causes of that loss have changed over the years. Which factor is a much greater threat to biodiversity in the United States in the twenty-first century than it was in the previous two centuries?

A) Overharvesting
B) Climate change
C) Pollution from fossil fuels
D) Destroying ecosystems to develop farmland

Question 65

Off-road mountain vehicles and mountain bikes trample various plant species in the Santa Cruz Mountains and hills of California. Although plants still persist in the area and many species are unaffected, habitat quality for many species has declined. This is an example of habitat

A) degradation.
B) fragmentation.
C) loss.
D) homogenization.

Question 66

Despite the loss of the Atlantic forest habitat of Brazil, no extinctions of birds from this area have been reported. According to Brooks et al., which of the following is the most plausible explanation for the apparent lack of extinctions?

A) Birds have gone extinct, but biologists have not observed the extinctions.
B) Birds are adapting to inhabiting forest fragments.
C) Birds are adapting to inhabiting deforested areas.
D) The time lag between deforestation and extinction has not played itself out.

Question 67

Which of these is an example of an anthropogenic Allee effect?

A) As rhinos become rarer, there is an increased effort by poachers to obtain their increasingly valuable horns.
B) The extinction of island endemics is often coupled with the introduction of cosmopolitan species.
C) As the population of a species of butterflies drops, there is more inbreeding in the species.
D) The introduction of an invasive grass species alters the ecological relationships of other species.

Question 68

Refer to the figure.
The figure shows the current level of threat faced by each biome from a variety of sources. According to the figure, what is the most serious threat now facing marine ecosystems?

A) Habitat loss
B) Overexploitation
C) Invasive species
D) Climate change

Question 69

For which purpose is molecular genetic analysis not useful?

A) Determining whether food items come from species that have been hunted illegally
B) Estimating the genetic diversity in a population
C) Estimating the extent of gene flow between populations
D) Estimating whether the growth rate of a population is high enough to allow it to persist

Question 70

Biologists can make population viability analysis (PVA) models more effective by

A) checking the validity of the models against field observations.
B) choosing only small populations to model.
C) using the models to predict the time to extinction of a given species only.
D) combining data from different species in a model.

Question 71

For which species have ex situ conservation measures been used?

A) Loggerhead turtles
B) California condors
C) Nile perch
D) Zebra mussels

Question 72

Which of the following is not an axis used by biologists to determine whether, or to what extent, a species is rare?

A) Local population size
B) Habitat specificity
C) Age structure
D) Geographic distribution

Question 73

An insect has habitat requirements that overlap substantially with those of other endangered species. Because this insect is well known for its beautiful coloration, efforts to protect it have garnered much support. It is thus acting as which kind of species?

A) Keystone
B) Invasive
C) Flagship
D) Focal