Deck 47: Conservation of Biodiversity

Question 1

Which of the following statements about keystone species is NOT true?

A)The extinction of keystone species can lead to other extinctions and a loss of biodiversity.
B)Keystone species are defined as a population subdivided into several small isolated populations due to habitat fragmentation.
C)Examples of keystone species are grizzly bears,bats,beavers and alligators.
D)The numbers of individuals in the keystone species in their respective community may or may not be excessively high.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Conservation biology supports all of the following ethical principles EXCEPT

A)biodiversity is desirable for the biosphere and humans.
B)all animals have the same rights or legal status as humans.
C)biodiversity has value in and of itself regardless of any practical human benefits.
D)extinctions due to human actions are undesirable.
E)the complex interactions of ecosystems support biodiversity and are desirable.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which of the following fields of study provide useful information for making decisions about conservation?

A)agronomy
B)veterinary science
C)genetics
D)physiology
E)All of these fields provide useful information for making decisions about conservation.

Answer 3

E

Question 4

The use of wheat,corn,rice and other crops derived from wild ancestors is an example of the _______ value of biodiversity.

A)agricultural
B)medicinal
C)consumptive use
D)climatic regulation

Question 5

Introduction of alien or exotic species into new ecosystems occurs by

A)colonization when new settlers arrive in an area.
B)accidental transport by ship or plane without anyone's knowledge.
C)agricultural and horticultural activities.
D)All of the choices are correct.

Question 6

The use of noncultivated fruit,animal skins,fiber,beeswax,and fish are examples of the ______ value of biodiversity.

A)agricultural use
B)medicinal use
C)consumptive use
D)contributions to the biogeochemical cycles

Question 7

As "civilization" spread around the world,several species benefitted greatly from new human-made habitats,including the house fly,the Norwegian rat,and many crop plants.Generally,with expansion of human populations and agriculture,

A)there has been an increase in biological diversity.
B)biological diversity has remained the same,with human-associated organisms replacing the few natural species displaced.
C)biological diversity has decreased but mainly with the elimination of pests by humans.
D)biological diversity is decreasing at an accelerating rate with the elimination of many unstudied species.

Question 8

In spite of hundreds of millions of dollars spent on insecticides targeted at pest control for agricultural and medical purposes,man has been unable to drive any to extinction.On the other hand,the extinction of many species of birds,fishes,plants,and insects species have occurred as a result of

A)hunting.
B)farming.
C)disease.
D)habitat destruction.
E)scientific collecting.

Question 9

What is the primary goal of conservation biology?

A)Management of the Earth's biodiversity.
B)Discovery of new sources of food and medicines.
C)Preservation of crucial habitat for the benefit of multiple species.
D)Balance the needs of the human population against the rest of the species on Earth.
E)Identify the most endangered and threatened species so efforts can be made to protect them.

Question 10

Which of the following statements about biological diversity is NOT true?

A)Scientists estimate that 10-50 million species exist.
B)Biodiversity is described in terms of genetic,community,and landscape diversity.
C)Biodiversity refers to the variety of life on Earth.
D)Biodiversity is evenly distributed throughout the biosphere.
E)Many species that are in danger of extinction have not been identified and studied.

Question 11

Madagascar is considered a biodiversity "hotspot" because

A)it originated as a volcanic island.
B)it has lost nearly all of its native species to extinction.
C)it contains an unusually high concentration of species.
D)it has resisted habitat destruction that has caused extinctions elsewhere.
E)All of the choices are correct.

Question 12

Which of the following statements concerning the indirect values of biodiversity is NOT correct?

A)Trees take up carbon dioxide and release oxygen when they photosynthesize.
B)Forests act as a sponge to soak up water and release it during drier periods.
C)If biodiversity cannot maintain the biogeochemical cycles,then technology will have to artificially create those cycles.
D)Diverse organisms are critical in breaking down wastes and immobilizing pollutants.
E)All of the choices are correct.None of these statements are incorrect.

Question 13

Rosy periwinkle,the nine-banded armadillo,and some species of fungus and bacteria have _________ value to man.

A)agricultural
B)medicinal
C)consumptive use
D)indirect
E)no

Question 14

Which of the following are causes for extinction?

A)habitat loss
B)exotic species
C)pollution
D)All of these are causes for extinction.
E)None of these are causes for extinction.

Question 15

When the factors causing habitat decline are identified and a procedure is developed to remedy this,it is

A)the edge effect.
B)a habitat restoration plan.
C)a population viability analysis.
D)a gap analysis.
E)landscape dynamics.

Question 16

Which of the following statements about extinction is TRUE?

A)Overexploitation by hunting and fishing is the major threat to tropical animals and plants.
B)Without human activity,all species would survive and there would be no extinctions.
C)Endangered wild species often become extinct due to different combinations of factors.
D)Commercial hunting and fishing are careful not to deplete animal reserves.
E)Introduction of new exotic species helps preserve biodiversity and slow extinction.

Question 17

Animals that are revered by humans due to their appearance or emotional ties are

A)flagship species.
B)keystone species.
C)endangered species.
D)threatened species.

Question 18

If all of the endangered species in the United States were to go extinct the Earth's biodiversity would decrease by _________.

A)approximately .007%
B)approximately 2.3%
C)approximately 10%
D)approximately 3.4%
E)approximately 16.2%

Question 19

Approximately what % of the known biodiversity on Earth is composed of plants?

A)18 - 20%
B)50 - 55%
C)12- 15%
D)63 - 67%
E)6 - 8%

Question 20

Biodiversity is a resource of immense value.All of the following are ways in which biodiversity is directly valuable to humans EXCEPT

A)agricultural.
B)medicinal.
C)consumptive use.
D)contributions to biogeochemical cycles.

Question 21

As the producer biodiversity doubles what will happen to the rate of photosynthesis?

A)It will double.
B)It will decrease by 50%.
C)It will increase by .1 - .2.
D)It will increase by .5 - .8.
E)It will decrease by .2 - .4.

Question 22

Which of the following statements applies to an ecosystem with a high level of biodiversity?

A)The ecosystem will have a higher rate of photosynthesis than a comparable ecosystem with a low level of biodiversity.
B)Resource partitioning will occur easier in an ecosystem that has a high level of biodiversity.
C)The food web will be more complex and will have a greater number of connections within it.
D)Areas of high biodiversity are economically more valuable than areas with limited biodiversity.
E)All of these apply to an ecosystem with a high level of biodiversity.

Question 23

_______ when the number of individuals taken from a wild population is so great that the population becomes severely reduced in number.

A)Overexploitation occurs
B)A source population is formed
C)An "edge effect" occurs
D)Eutrophication occurs

Question 24

What is the correct sequence of events that has led to the decimation of the kelp beds along the west coast of the U.S.? a.Sea otters decline in numbers
B)Increase in orca predation on sea otters
C)Decline in the seals and sea otters
D)Over fishing of the herring and perch
E)Increase in the sea urchin population

A)d - c - b - a - e
B)d - c - b - e - a
C)a - d - c - b - e
D)d - b - c - a - e
E)b - d - c - a - e

Question 25

Which of the following is not a role played by biodiversity within an ecosystem?

A)biogeochemical cycling
B)waste recycling
C)water purification
D)prevention of soil erosion
E)All of the choices are roles played by biodiversity.

Question 26

Preliminary studies indicate that biodiversity maximizes resource acquisition and retention within an ecosystem.

Question 27

What was the root cause of the decimation of the kelp beds along the west coast of the U.S.?

A)Over fishing of the perch and herring in the area.
B)A decline in the sea otter population that would control the sea urchin population.
C)An increase in the orca population preying upon the sea otters.
D)An explosion of the sea urchin population.
E)A decline in the seal and sea otter population.

Question 28

Which of the following are characteristics of a keystone species?

A)They influence the diversity of the community.
B)They evoke an emotional response in people.
C)They have a very large population.
D)They are always mammals.
E)None of these are characteristics of keystone species.

Question 29

Forests and other ecosystems may decrease the chances of flooding in an area due to their water-holding capacity.

Question 30

Which of the following is not a human induced cause of extinction?

A)exotic species
B)habitat loss
C)eutrophication
D)ozone depletion
E)outcompeted by another species in the same ecosystem

Question 31

The science of collecting,analyzing,and making readily available biological information is

A)habitat restoration planning.
B)landscape preservation.
C)bioinformatics.
D)a population viability analysis.

Question 32

What is the main reason for the changes that are occurring in the Earth's climate?

A)Large scale deforestation
B)Disruption of the waste recycling by decomposers
C)Over harvesting of wild species for consumptive value
D)Drainage of wetlands producing a disruption of water purification
E)An increase in soil erosion leading to siltation of rivers and estuaries

Question 33

The situation with major oceanic fishing areas is

A)good,since the oceans are so large,they are the one remaining natural ecosystem that is not susceptible to extinction.
B)generally positive,with only one or two of the 15 major oceanic fishing areas over-exploited.
C)generally negative,with 11 of the 15 major oceanic fishing areas overexploited.
D)positive for the bottom dwellers that are protected but negative for the schools of swimming fish.
E)negative for the bottom dwellers that are over-fished by trawling but positive for the schools of swimming fish that can easily get away.

Question 34

Conservation biology is a field that relies on multiple other disciplines to support it.

Question 35

Why is there great value in preserving biodiversity hotspots?

A)These spots have a large diversity of species in them.
B)Preserved hotspots have a direct value to humans.
C)Hotspots have an indirect value to humans.
D)Biodiversity hotspots are a source of new medicines.
E)All of these are values in preserving biodiversity hotspots.

Question 36

Which value of biodiversity in an ecosystem will benefit endangered species the most?

A)consumptive value
B)medicinal value
C)ecotourism
D)agricultural value
E)regulation of climate

Question 37

During habitat preservation landscape preservation is often intended for one particular organism but may benefit others.

Question 38

Bacteria are the group in which there is the least amount of known and the fewest species recognized.

Question 39

_______ is (are)associated with 85% of the cases of threatened and endangered species.

A)Pollution
B)Habitat loss
C)Overexploitation
D)Disease
E)Exotic species

Question 40

Which of the following species is both a keystone species and a flagship species?

A)grizzly bear
B)panda
C)beaver
D)dolphin
E)alligator

Question 41

Rabbits were introduced to Australia by pioneer settlers in the mid 1800s for sporting hunters.They have since stressed native marsupial and plant populations.This is an example of the introduction of exotic species through accidental transport.

Question 42

A decrease in the over fishing of herring and perch would have prevented the decimation of the kelp beds along the west coast of the U.S..

Question 43

Which of the following preservation tactics would have the greatest impact on saving the largest number of species?

A)Preserve a large tract of land that contains source populations of keystone species.
B)Preserve several small tracts of land that contain source populations of keystone species.
C)Preserve a large tract of land that contains sink populations of keystone species.
D)Preserve a large tract of land that contains source populations of flagship species.
E)Preserve multiple small tracts of land that each contain source populations of keystone species.

Question 44

Scientists estimate that at least 50-60% of all species now living will most likely become extinct in the next 20-50 years unless planned,coordinated action takes place.

Question 45

What is the main reason that the field of conservation biology has developed?

A)The current rates of extinction on Earth due to human related factors.
B)Humans looking for new methods of obtaining resources from the natural environment.
C)The consolidation of multiple fields of science into one in an attempt to be more efficient.
D)As a means of monitoring the stability of ecosystems.

Question 46

Biodiversity is described in terms of genetic,community,and landscape diversity.

Question 47

Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use that attempts to preserve the environment while meeting the needs of humans in the present and future.