Deck 15: Biodiversity and Conservation

Question 1

Endemic species are organisms that are

A)in immediate danger of extinction.
B)low in numbers but extinction is less imminent.
C)located in many different geographic areas.
D)found only on islands.
E)native to or confined to a specific place.

Answer 1

native to or confined to a specific place.

Question 2

An area recently vacated by glaciers will have

A)low species richness.
B)high species richness.
C)a variety of ecological niches.
D)high biological diversity.
E)structurally complex vegetation.

Answer 2

low species richness.

Question 3

The number of different species in a community describes its

A)endemic species.
B)threatened species.
C)species richness.
D)invasive species.
E)ecosystem services.

Answer 3

species richness.

Question 4

Which of the following term is incorrectly matched with its definition

A)endangered species : species that faces threats that may cause it to become extinct within a short period
B)threatened species : a species whose extinction is less imminent but its population is quite low
C)species richness : the genetic variety within all populations of a given species
D)invasive species : a foreign species that spreads rapidly when introduced into a new area
E)endemic species : species that are native to or confine to a specific place

Question 5

Which of the following is an example of an ecosystem service

A)the state provides free maintenance of highway medians keeping the landscape beautiful
B)bacteria live in a termite's gut allowing the termite to be able to digest wood
C)oceans act as a giant thermostat,interacting with the atmosphere and land to control Earth's climate
D)tropical forests are removed to provide suitable land for subsistence farming
E)sand dunes provide the perfect "front yard" as human development expands to the coastline

Question 6

What is the difference between background extinction and mass extinction

A)background extinction is continuous and low-level; mass extinction occurs during a relatively short period of time and involves large numbers of species
B)background extinction is indiscriminate; mass extinction targets particular species
C)background extinction may be due to a human induced catastrophic event; mass extinction is a natural biological process
D)background extinction has occurred 5-6 times throughout Earth's history; mass extinctions have occurred hundreds of times
E)background extinction is a synonym for mass extinction

Question 7

Ecosystem services provided by coastal environments include all of the following except

A)provide a buffer against storms.
B)dilute and remove pollutants.
C)provide wildlife habitat.
D)provide humans with food and recreation.
E)prevent low-level extinction of species.

Question 8

What was most likely responsible for the disappearance of the dinosaurs

A)background extinction
B)mass extinction
C)introduction of invasive species
D)urban development
E)commercial exploitation

Question 9

Biological diversity is the

A)change in species occurring in transitional zones between communities.
B)number and variety of ecosystems in the biosphere.
C)environmental benefits species provide in a community.
D)number of different ecosystem services.
E)number and variety of Earth's organisms.

Question 10

The irreversible elimination of a species from Earth is termed

A)the ecological cycle.
B)decomposition.
C)extinction.
D)natural selection.
E)succession.

Question 11

Individuals within all populations of a particular species each have a unique combination of traits.This broad genetic base is known as

A)genetic uniformity.
B)genetic diversity.
C)genetic engineering.
D)genetic drift.
E)genetic evolution.

Question 12

Of all the species that have ever existed,how many are now extinct

A)<5%
B)21.2%
C)58.8%
D)75%
E)99.9%

Question 13

If the forest in question #7 were re-sampled a year later,which of the following would best indicate that the forest had been adversely affected by adjacent development

A)the trees are showing rapid growth
B)the biodiversity of the forest has decreased
C)no one species is beginning to dominate the forest
D)no uncommon species has become more numerous
E)the species richness of the forest has increased

Question 14

Which of the following statements about extinction is false

A)Extinction is the elimination of a species from Earth.
B)Background extinction eradicates a large number of species during a relative short period of geologic time.
C)Mass extinctions have occurred 5-6 times throughout Earth's history.
D)Extinction rates are accelerated by human activities.
E)The present extinction rate is 100-1,000 times the background rate.

Question 15

The species richness of a community depends on all of the following factors except

A)the geological history of the region.
B)the productivity of the ecosystem.
C)the abundance of ecological niches.
D)the quality of ecosystem services.
E)the stability of the ecosystem.

Question 16

The bottle of water that you are drinking may have been purified for you by a wetland or the root system of an entire forest.This is an example of

A)an ecosystem service.
B)water succession.
C)a biotic resource.
D)resource repurposing.
E)ecosystem repair.

Question 17

A one-hectare forest community is sampled in early August.The sample yields 12 small trees,4 types of vines,as well as 17 native shrubs that represent 10 species.What can be estimated from the sample for the shrubs in the forest community

A)the forest's productivity
B)the species richness
C)the degree of forest disturbance
D)the stability of the ecosystem
E)the uniformity of species distribution in the ecosystem

Question 18

Ecosystems with lower species richness

A)provide ecosystem uniformity.
B)supply better ecosystem services.
C)supply worst ecosystem services.
D)create bioconsistency hotspots.
E)set standards of species quality.

Question 19

In an ecosystem,where is species richness greatest

A)in the center of communities
B)at the edges of adjacent communities in the ecotone
C)in specific areas where environmental stresses are the highest
D)in specific areas where one species enjoys a decided dominance
E)species richness is equally distributed in ecosystems

Question 20

Which species has a more imminent danger of extinction throughout all of its range

A)endangered species
B)threatened species
C)endemic species
D)invasive species
E)indigenous species

Question 21

The benefit of the Endangered Species Act is that it provides

A)economic consideration when listing species and not simply biological importance.
B)time and space for populations of endangered species to recover and stabilize.
C)catch and release programs for avid sportsmen.
D)highest priority to endangered species with medicinal values.
E)over 5,000 diverse species with federal protection.

Question 22

Which of the following is currently considered the leading cause of extinction

A)poachers
B)pollution
C)overexploitation of species
D)habitat loss
E)competition from introduced species

Question 23

What of the following best describes the overall goal of conservation biology

A)to catalogue biodiversity in geographic hotspots
B)to introduce foreign species into new areas in a judicious manner
C)to provide legal protection to listed threatened species
D)to study how humans impact organisms and develop strategies to cope with declining biological diversity
E)to develop strict controls for the exploitation of endangered species

Question 24

The first step in an ecological restoration effort is to

A)re-establish natural predators.
B)assess the current biological diversity.
C)reintroduce rare species.
D)establish monoculture to provide stability.
E)remove the cause of habitat degradation.

Question 25

A(n)___ species is one that moves into an ecosystem as a result of human intervention.

A)extinct
B)endangered.
C)invasive
D)endangered
E)endemic

Question 26

Which of the following statements concerning the US Endangered Species Act (ESA)is false

A)According to the ESA,there are less than 100 species that are endangered or threatened in the U.S.today.
B)The ESA designates species as endangered or threatened entirely on biological grounds.
C)The ESA was updated in 1982,1985 and 1988 to be one of the strongest pieces of U.S.environmental legislation.
D)The ESA provides legal protection to listed species to reduce their danger of extinction.
E)The ESA does not provide tax cuts for property owners who are good land stewards in protecting the endangered species on their lands.

Question 27

The Carolina parakeet,endemic to the southern U.S.became extinct by 1920 because

A)the birds ate fruit and grain crops so farmers killed the birds as part of a pest management program.
B)poachers captured the birds to sell in the commercial market.
C)a category 5 hurricane destroyed the bird's natural habitat.
D)the introduced Asian tiger mosquito carried avian flu to the bird population and wiped it out.
E)human produced acid precipitation and climate warming degraded the birds' habitat.

Question 28

A plan designed to conserve biological diversity worldwide,formulated in 1980 by the international environmental agencies is the ___.

A)World Conservation Strategy
B)International Biological Diversity Scheme
C)US Endangered Species Act
D)Global Restoration Proposal
E)Comprehensive Preservation Design

Question 29

To adhere to ESA guidelines,the Fish and Wildlife Service must

A)consider current economic conditions when designating endangered species.
B)provide compensation for private property owners to save endangered species living on their lands.
C)support the timber industry's access to old-growth forests.
D)select critical habitats and design a detailed recovery plan for each endangered species listed.
E)begin to delist endangered species to keep the numbers manageable at around 100.

Question 30

Why is the US Endangered Species Act controversial

A)it arbitrarily lists species as "experimental,nonessential species" in order to allow ranching and mining in sensitive areas
B)it does not have jurisdiction over whole ecosystems,but isolated pockets of endangered species habitat
C)it does not provide compensation to private property owners who suffer financial losses related to its enforcement
D)it bans hunting on federal lands
E)it approves illegal trade in product made from commercially valuable endangered species

Question 31

Which of the following is a type of in situ conservation

A)Aransas,TX National Wildlife Refuge for whooping cranes
B)California condor breeding program
C)aquaculture for farm-raised salmon
D)Phoenix,AZ desert botanical garden
E)San Diego zoo

Question 32

The establishment of parks and reserves to preserve biological diversity in nature is an example of

A)in situ conservation.
B)ex situ conservation.
C)re situ conservation.
D)a natural setting zoo.
E)a seed bank.

Question 33

All of the following are disadvantages of seed banks as a method of ex situ conservation except

A)some type of seeds cannot tolerate the process of drying that storage requires.
B)seeds do not remain alive indefinitely.
C)the process of growing,harvesting and returning seeds to storage is expensive.
D)storing a large amount of plant genetic material takes up a lot of space.
E)plants stored in this manner remain stagnant in an evolutionary sense.

Question 34

Which of the following human activities does not contribute to species endangerment and extinction

A)captive breeding programs
B)urban development causing habitat fragmentation
C)excessive commercial harvesting
D)pollution
E)introduction of invasive species

Question 35

Restoration ecology plays a large role in

A)in ex situ conservation to reduce extinctions.
B)introducing species that have economic value into blighted ecosystems.
C)the harvesting of natural resources for human use.
D)adhering to old procedures because "that's what has always been done."
E)the regeneration of soil damaged by agriculture or mining.

Question 36

How does the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES)protect biodiversity

A)it mandates that degraded lands be set aside for restoration
B)it identifies biodiversity hotspots for designation as preserved habitat
C)it bans the hunting,trade,and selling of endangered species
D)it manages zoos and seed banks
E)it provides detailed recovery plans for endangered species

Question 37

A major challenge facing restoration ecologists is the

A)expense and time required to reclaim disturbed lands and convert them into areas with high biological diversity.
B)relocation of human populations so that the land can be rehabilitated.
C)enhancement of air quality to historical levels.
D)frequency of fires due to climate changes.
E)scarcity of open space needed for free ranging species.

Question 38

The goal of the World Conservation Strategy is to

A)provide legal protection to listed endangered species and to reduce their danger of extinction.
B)compensate individual countries for developing wildlife habitat.
C)limit the amount of development on various islands.
D)develop detailed plans for managing and preserving global biodiversity.
E)develop stringent controls for the exploitation of endangered species.

Question 39

Which of the following best describes the goal of restoration ecology

A)to provide legal protection to listed threatened species
B)to study how humans impact organisms
C)to return a human-damaged ecosystem to its former state
D)to develop strict controls for the exploitation of endangered species
E)to produce more natural ecosystems in urban settings

Question 40

When was the Endangered Species Act originally passed and what was its purpose

A)1920 for the purpose of listing all plant and animal species that are endangered.
B)1935 for the purpose of limiting the amount of development on federal lands.
C)1973 authorizing the FWS to protect endangered and threatened species in the U.S.and abroad.
D)1999 sanctioning urban development after examining area for endangered species
E)2010 for the purpose of providing legal protection to listed endemic species

Question 41

What is conservation biology
Devise an in situ and an ex situ conservation plan for the preservation of the White Rhinoceros.

Question 42

Define extinction and discuss the major causes of extinction
(a)in recent times and
(b)before people existed on Earth.

Question 43

Why don't scientists know the exact number of species on Earth

A)because about 10,000 new species are identified each year.
B)because species are becoming extinct at a rate that is too fast to count
C)because the system used to define what constitutes a species keeps changing
D)because historical records are inaccurate
E)Scientists do know.There are 1.8 million existing species on Earth

Question 44

Define ecosystem services and discuss the ecosystem services provided by forests and coastal areas.Discuss how these services are altered by human activity.

Question 45

Define species richness and discuss two factors associated with high species richness.

Question 46

What is biological diversity
(a)What are three components that make up biological diversity
Explain what each of these components contributes.
(b)Discuss two ways to reverse the trend of declining biological diversity.

Question 47

Currently,about 1400 species in the U.S.are listed as endangered or threatened.(a)Create a graph of the data from the chart below.Be sure to label the X and Y-axes.(b)Draw conclusions from the data that you graphed in part (a)as you compare and contrast any two of the animal categories.

Question 48

Distinguish between extinct,endangered,and threatened species.Give two characteristics that are common to many endangered species.

Question 49

If the environment was to change dramatically or a new plant disease was to break out,which plant type on the graph below would have the greatest chance of survival? The least? WHY?

Question 50

On June 28ᵗʰ,2007 the bald eagle was removed from the federal list of threatened and endangered species.Suggest two possible factors that have contributed to bald eagle pairs increasing from 417 in 1963 to 9,250 pairs in 2006.

Question 51

What are the four human causes of species endangerment and extinction
Which one is the single greatest threat
Give an example of a specific organism that has been harmed by each human activity.