Deck 55: Biodiversity and Conservation Biology

Question 1

Philippe Bouchet and colleagues conducted a massive survey of marine molluscs on the west coast of New Caledonia.Twenty percent of the species found were represented by a single specimen.What does that suggest about the diversity of molluscs in this area?

A)There are only a few species of molluscs in the area.
B)They did not look very hard for those 20 percent.
C)Many of the species from this 20 percent are probably rare.
D)Most of the species from this 20 percent are quite common.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Erwin and Scott used an insecticidal fog to knock down insects from the top of a L.seemannii tree.The researchers identified over 900 species of beetles among the individuals that fell.Erwin also projected that this entire tree is host to about 600 specialist arthropods.There are approximately 50,000 species of tropical trees.Although it could not be entirely accurate,what would be the best way to estimate the total number of arthropod species?

A)Estimate the species density and then multiply by 50,000.
B)Multiply 900 by 50,000.
C)Multiply 600 by 50,000.
D)Divide 900 by 600 and then multiply by 50,000.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Ecosystems function better when biodiversity is high?

A)yes
B)no
C)mostly yes
D)mostly no
E)There are no data to indicate either way.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Figure 55.1
Dogs ~43
Bears ~19
Seals ~36
Red Panda ~1
Skunks ~13
Raccoons ~15
Badgers ~10
Weasels ~38
Otters ~8
Approximately how many species have we described out of the species alive today?

A)We have described about half of the species on Earth.
B)We have described almost all of the species on Earth.
C)Apart from the tropics,we have described almost all the species on Earth.
D)We have described only a small fraction of the species on Earth.

Question 5

Figure 55.1
Dogs ~43
Bears ~19
Seals ~36
Red Panda ~1
Skunks ~13
Raccoons ~15
Badgers ~10
Weasels ~38
Otters ~8
Environmental sequencing has brought to light what crucial finding?

A)Genetic diversity is highest in the most complex ecosystems.
B)Genetic diversity is very difficult to detect in small ecosystems.
C)Even the world's simplest ecosystems contain an enormous amount of genetic diversity.
D)Individual diversity is as important as ecosystem diversity.

Question 6

Ecosystems services include processes that increase the quality of the abiotic environment.Which of the following processes would not fall under this category?

A)Keystone predators have a marked effect on species diversity.
B)Green plants produce the oxygen we breathe.
C)The presence of land plants builds soil.
D)The presence of diverse wetlands helps in flood control.

Question 7

While travelling in the Alps,you come across a butterfly that you cannot identify.You quickly find out that it is a new species.Which of the following is NOT a step in understanding the biodiversity of this new species?

A)naming and describing the species
B)measuring general physiology of the species
C)looking at what other species are related to the new species
D)assessing the species' geographic range
E)understanding the species' ecology

Question 8

In a debate about the destruction of tropical wet forests,the arguments keep focussing on biodiversity and how this affects the animals themselves,as well as the ecosystem.What is one direct benefit of biodiversity to humans that you can argue to help people understand why these forests need to be preserved?

A)This diversity could contain undocumented insect species.
B)The areas could be visited by tourists for profit.
C)The diversity could contain novel drugs for consumers.
D)The diversity could contain a new crop plant for agriculture.

Question 9

Figure 55.1
Dogs ~43
Bears ~19
Seals ~36
Red Panda ~1
Skunks ~13
Raccoons ~15
Badgers ~10
Weasels ~38
Otters ~8
According to the figure above,which of the following groups is particularly important to preserve?

A)Dogs
B)Red Panda
C)Raccoons
D)Weasels

Question 10

How can biodiversity affect the way we decontaminate industrial sites?

A)Bacteria have been found to be able to detoxify certain chemicals;perhaps there are more.
B)Trees produce sawdust,which can be used to soak up chemicals.
C)Species evolving in contaminated areas could adapt and detoxify the area.
D)None of the answers given is correct.

Question 11

Figure 55.2
Based on how you would go about measuring biodiversity,which of the following is true?

A)Bacteria are among the easiest to count regarding numbers of different species.
B)Species in the tropics are much easier to study than species in other biomes.
C)The easiest animals to study are the insects.
D)The most intensively studied lineages are vertebrates.

Question 12

Figure 55.2
During the inventory of bacterial genes present in the Sargasso Sea,a research team concluded that at least 1800 bacterial species were discovered.Based on what you know about this area,what would expect to see in coral reef waters?

A)slightly greater genetic diversity
B)slightly smaller genetic diversity
C)equal genetic diversity
D)markedly greater genetic diversity
E)markedly smaller genetic diversity

Question 13

Figure 55.3
Upon looking at Figure 55.3 regarding Tilman's experiments,what can you conclude about the data?

A)As species richness changes,plant biomass remains consistent.
B)As species richness increases,plant biomass increases.
C)As species richness increases,plant biomass increases and then levels off.
D)As species richness decreases,plant biomass increases.

Question 14

Figure 55.2
Based on Figure 55.2,what snake antivenom would you administer to a person bitten by a king brown snake?

A)taipan
B)common brown snake
C)red-bellied black snake
D)death adder
E)tiger snake

Question 15

Figure 55.4
Hypothesis: Productivity increases with species richness because certain species or functional groups facilitate the growth of other species by providing them with nutrients,partial shade,or other benefits.In looking at the data in Figure 55.4,how would you relate it to this hypothesis?

A)The hypothesis is supported.
B)The hypothesis is partially supported.
C)The hypothesis is rejected.
D)The hypothesis is proven.
E)The data do not relate to the hypothesis given.

Question 16

If the last remaining population of a particular bird species were all highly related,which type of diversity would be of greatest concern when planning to keep the species from going extinct?

A)genetic diversity
B)species diversity
C)ecosystem diversity
D)Both A and B
E)Both B and C

Question 17

Figure 55.1
Dogs ~43
Bears ~19
Seals ~36
Red Panda ~1
Skunks ~13
Raccoons ~15
Badgers ~10
Weasels ~38
Otters ~8
Why is it important to preserve the tuataras (see Figure 55.1)?

A)The group has very few representatives of its lineage.
B)The group is particularly sensitive to environmental disturbances.
C)The group has low genetic diversity.
D)The group is economically important.

Question 18

Figure 55.2
By knowing the interrelatedness of various snake species,the type of antivenom can be chosen depending on the species involved in the bite.Based on Figure 55.2,which snake antivenom would you administer to a person bitten by an Australian copperhead?

A)taipan
B)common brown snake
C)red-bellied black snake
D)death adder
E)tiger snake

Question 19

Which of the following is the true statement regarding species diversity and taxonomic diversity?

A)Species diversity measures the relative frequency of all alleles present in a species.
B)In taxonomic diversity,the evolutionary relationships of species in a lineage are important.
C)In species diversity,the numbers of animals in a particular lineage is important.
D)The variety of species in a given area represents taxonomic diversity.

Question 20

Which one of the following is likely not a hotspot for birds?

A)Amazon River basin
B)East Africa
C)Southwest China
D)Southwest United States

Question 21

Figure 55.7
In looking at the species-area plot in the figure above,what can be concluded?

A)Number of bird species increases linearly with island area.
B)Number of bird species is different on various islands.
C)Diversity is independent from island area.
D)Number of bird species increases exponentially with island area.

Question 22

Figure 55.6
In looking at the figure above,what can be said about edge effects?

A)Biomass declines sharply along edges of forest fragments.
B)Biomass increases along the edges of forest fragments.
C)Species diversity decreases along the edges of forest fragments.
D)Fragmentation does not affect biomass.

Question 23

A land developer is arguing with a group of ecologists.Of course the land developer wants the most land possible for building houses,but has to compromise by saving some land for animal habitat.The land developer offers 20 hectares in evenly distributed but isolated 1-hectare portions.The ecologists keep arguing for one 20 hectare area to remain intact.Why are the ecologists making this proposal?

A)There really is no difference;they should both work equally well.
B)The isolated hectare plots are better because they spread out the habitat.
C)The isolated plots are more vulnerable to edge effects.
D)The large plot will create more inbreeding in many species.

Question 24

What is the main difference between sustainable development and adaptive management?

A)Adaptive management has a more international aspect.
B)They are both essentially the same thing.
C)Sustainable development uses resources carefully so they do not decline over time.
D)Adaptive management is an ongoing process of reevaluating and re-implementing management plans though time.

Question 25

Which of the following statements regarding extinction is FALSE?

A)Only certain species are immune from extinction.
B)Species are vanishing today faster than at any other time in Earth's history.
C)Extinction occurs whether humans interfere or not.
D)Extinctions can even be caused indirectly by humans.

Question 26

On Easter Island,data show that it was once covered by massive palm trees.How can an ecosystem collapse from removal of just one species of large tree?

A)Without large trees,soil erosion increases and reduces productivity.
B)Species of plants needing shade no longer have it.
C)Large trees are habitats for many species.
D)Humans use the trees as a resource.
E)All of the above apply.

Question 27

Figure 55.5
According to the figure above,what is occurring after 1985?

A)The population is increasing exponentially.
B)The population is increasing.
C)The population growth rate is increasing.
D)The sheep are climbing a hill.

Question 28

Figure 55.9
Based on Figure 55.9,what can you conclude about land-use legacy in New England?

A)Population growth has increasingly devastated the forests.
B)A spike in lake sediments caused massive deforestation due to loss of soil nutrients.
C)Sediment spikes correlate with massive population growth.
D)Lake sediments reflect deforestation and despite reforestation,do not recover.
E)All of the above answers apply.

Question 29

Figure 55.5
According to the figure above,what is the least likely explanation for the data after 1985?

A)emigration
B)immigration
C)introduction of new individuals to the population
D)increased resources in the area

Question 30

You discover,in your massive 2000-hectare forest,a species of bat that is not found anywhere else.The habitat of your bat population is designated as a protected area.What,if any,would be an advantage of removing a small number of bats and placing them in a zoo?

A)Removing bats would do too much harm to the original population.
B)Some animals in the zoo could breed more readily and maybe repopulate another area.
C)It is better to isolate bats into breeding groups in the wild than to put them in a zoo.
D)Zoos offer no advantage at all to the population.

Question 31

Figure 55.7
Based on the species-area plot in the figure above,if habitable area on an island were reduced from 10,000 km² to 1,000 km²,roughly what percentage of the species would disappear?

A)0)3%
B)3%
C)30%
D)60%

Question 32

Figure 55.8 Use the following information when answering the corresponding question(s).
Abstract:
Recognition of the importance of land-use legacies in most ecological systems has been a major factor driving the recent focus on human activity as a legitimate and essential subject of environmental science. Ecologists, conservationists, and natural resource policy makers now recognize that the legacies of land-use activities continue to influence ecosystem structure and function for decades or centuries-or even longer-after those activities have ceased. Copyright © 2003 American Institute of Biological Sciences. (Foster, D.R., F. Swanson, J. Aber, D. Tilman, N. Brockaw, I. Burke and A Knapp. 2003. The importance of land-use and its legacies to ecology and environmental management. BioScience 53:77-88.)

Based on the figure above,what can you conclude about land-use legacy in the southern Yucatán?

A)Massive soil erosion caused the Mayan population to crash.
B)Reduction in forest cover caused the Mayan population to crash.
C)As Mayan population increased,deforestation increased,leading to increased soil erosion.
D)All of the above answers are correct.

Question 33

Which of the following criteria have to be met in order for a species to qualify as invasive?

A)endemic to the area,spreads rapidly,and eliminates foreign species
B)introduced to a new area,spreads rapidly,and eliminates native species
C)introduced to a new area,spreads rapidly,and eliminates other invasive species
D)endemic to the area,spreads slowly,and eliminates native species
E)none of the above

Question 34

The main focus in combating loss of biodiversity is

A)habitat fragmentation.
B)habitat destruction.
C)industrialization.
D)transportation.

Question 35

Which of the following statements regarding species diversity is FALSE?

A)More than 99% of the species known to science are now extinct.
B)As much as 20% of the world's biodiversity will be lost during the next 50 years.
C)Through agriculture,humans have actually increased the number of plant species.
D)About 85 mammal species and 113 species of birds have become extinct in the last 400 years.

Question 36

Which of the following is NOT likely a mechanism for biodiversity increasing productivity?

A)Resource use is more efficient.
B)Certain species facilitate the growth of other species.
C)More species means greater biomass.
D)Undersampling may miss big producers in the area.

Question 37

What is the main purpose of the wildlife corridor?

A)to slow down the introduction of new individuals of a species
B)to slowly introduce a species to a new preserve
C)to facilitate the transfer of individuals back and forth between populations
D)to connect two otherwise isolated populations

Question 38

Researchers have been studying a rare population of 87 voles in an isolated area.Ten voles from a larger population were added to this isolated population.Besides having 10 additional animals,what benefits are there to importing individuals?

A)Additional animals from a distant population will likely bring genetic diversity and reduce inbreeding depression.
B)Additional animals will bring additional competition and could hurt the population.
C)Additional animals would increase beneficial genetic drift.
D)There is no benefit other than increasing the overall population size.