Deck 10: Sustaining Terrestrial Biodiversity: The Ecosystem Approach

Question 1

Ecologists warn that human population growth, economic development, and poverty are exerting increasing pressure on the earth's ecosystems and on the ____ it provides.

A)cultural incentives
B)abundant lifestyle
C)technological growth
D)ecosystem services
E)scientific research

Answer 1

D

Question 2

A tree plantation is also called a(n)____.

A)old-growth forest
B)primary forest
C)second-growth forest
D)commercial forest
E)successional forest

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Removing intermediate-aged or mature trees from a forest is known as ____.

A)intermediate cutting
B)selective cutting
C)partial cutting
D)clear-cutting
E)strip-cutting

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Robert Costanza of the University of Vermont estimates the world's forests provide us with ecological services worth how much per year?

A)$4.7 trillion
B)$6.3 trillion
C)$11.9 trillion
D)$13.2 trillion
E)$15 trillion

Question 5

An old-growth forest is a(n)____.

A)commercial forest older than 30 years
B)forest undisturbed for at least 50 years
C)second-growth forest undisturbed for at least 100 years
D)replanted forest that has had little disturbance for 100 years
E)uncut or regenerated primary forest undisturbed for at least 200 hundred years

Question 6

Robert Costanza of the University of Vermont estimates the monetary worth of the earth's ecological services per year at which of the following?

A)$150 billion
B)$500 billion
C)$1.5 trillion
D)$33.2 trillion
E)$500 trillion

Question 7

The temporary or permanent removal of large expanses of forest for agriculture, or other uses, is called ____.

A)reforestation
B)deforestation
C)selective cutting
D)strip cutting
E)sustainable harvesting

Question 8

Which of the following is true of surface fires?

A)They increase the chance of crown fires.
B)They kill all vegetation and wildlife in their path.
C)They prevent the germination of trees species like jack pine and the giant sequoia.
D)They free mineral nutrients that are locked up in vegetation and litter.
E)They destroy mineral nutrients that are locked up in vegetation.

Question 9

Which of the following is not an economic service provided by forests?

A)fuelwood
B)mining
C)erosion reduction
D)lumber
E)recreation

Question 10

Forests provide habitats for about ____ of the earth's terrestrial species.

A)one-quarter
B)one-third
C)one-half
D)two-thirds
E)three-quarters

Question 11

Which of the following is a harmful effect of even carefully designed logging roads?

A)increased erosion
B)habitat corridors
C)decreased sediment runoff
D)increased access to farms, mines, and ranches
E)increased native biodiversity

Question 12

Over the past 8,000 years, human activities have reduced the earth's original forest cover by about _____ %, with most of that coming in the last 60 years.

A)47
B)32
C)64
D)76
E)58

Question 13

Which of the following is true of tree plantations?

A)They are not biologically diverse.
B)They take a very long time to return a profit.
C)They are usually clear cut before they are sufficiently mature.
D)They cannot be used for paper products.
E)They contain trees that are not of a uniformly age.

Question 14

Forests, both natural and planted, occupy how much of the earth's land surface, other than Greenland and Antarctica?

A)40%
B)24%
C)31%
D)16%
E)5%

Question 15

Surface fires ____.

A)increase topsoil erosion
B)kill large numbers of wildlife
C)usually burn only undergrowth and leaf litter on the forest floor
D)usually burn whole trees from the base up
E)spread rapidly and can destroy most vegetation

Question 16

Costa Rica is considered a superpower of biodiversity, with an estimated 500,000 plant and animal species. This biodiversity is chiefly a result of the ____.

A)country's small size
B)country's geographic location and its government's strong conservation efforts
C)lack of deforestation throughout the country's history
D)careful use of natural resources by its indigenous people throughout its history
E)government subsidies for the conversion of forestland to rangeland

Question 17

Which of the following is a disadvantage of clear-cutting?

A)low timber yield
B)cannot reforest with fast-growing trees
C)destroys and fragments wildlife habitats
D)low profits in the short-term
E)increases surface fires

Question 18

Four of the following are important ecological services provided by forests; one is not. Choose the one that is not.

A)Reduces soil erosion
B)Releases atmospheric carbon
C)Purifies water and air
D)Influences local and regional climate
E)Provides numerous wildlife habitat

Question 19

A second-growth forest is a(n)____.

A)old-growth forest with lots of new seedlings
B)old growth forest with lots of weeds
C)forest resulting from secondary succession
D)old growth forest that has been cut down with only weeds remaining
E)forest containing only one or two species of trees that are all of the same age

Question 20

According to the World Resources Institute, if the current rates continue, how much of the world's remaining forests will be lost in the next two decades?

A)10%
B)20%
C)30%
D)40%
E)50%

Question 21

Burning tropical forests accounts for how much of the human-created greenhouse gas emissions?

A)6%
B)11%
C)17%
D)23%
E)27%

Question 22

Unfenced grasslands in tropical and temperate climates that supply forage for grazing animals are called ____.

A)pastures
B)rangeland
C)savannah
D)steppes
E)veldt

Question 23

What is probably the biggest problem for U.S. national parks today?

A)popularity
B)regulations
C)environmentalists
D)rock collectors
E)soil erosion

Question 24

Protected areas linking isolated reserves is a design called ____.

A)habitat corridors
B)buffer zone concept
C)wilderness concept
D)transition zones
E)reserve concept

Question 25

With only 2% of its forests remaining, which of the following countries has gone from tropical paradise to ecological disaster?

A)Jamaica
B)Bermuda
C)Haiti
D)Cuba
E)Virgin Islands

Question 26

Which of the following is a method of grassland restoration?

A)removal of riparian areas and water holes from grasslands
B)removal of salt blocks for cattle
C)eliminating herbicide use allowing all plants to grow
D)use of portable fencing to confine cattle to ungrazed areas
E)removal of native grasses to reduce growth

Question 27

Widespread human-influenced fires in tropical forests, such as the Amazon Rainforest, change weather patterns by raising temperatures and reducing rainfall resulting in droughts, which in turn makes forests more likely to burn. This is an example of a ____.

A)runaway fire cycle
B)natural fire cycle
C)positive feedback loop
D)negative feedback loop
E)closed circuit loop

Question 28

Which of method is effective in reducing tropical deforestation?

A)Educate settlers about sustainable forestry/agriculture.
B)Certify sustainably grown timber.
C)Reduce poverty.
D)Protect the most diverse and endangered areas.
E)All of these

Question 29

Overgrazing occurs when too many animals graze for too long and exceed the carrying capacity of a rangeland area. Overgrazing causes all of the following except ____.

A)reduced grass cover
B)exposure of the soil to wind erosion
C)increased retention of water
D)compacted soil
E)more invasion by inedible plant species

Question 30

About ____ of the wood harvested globally each year is burned directly for fuel or converted to charcoal fuel.

A)10%
B)25%
C)50%
D)75%
E)90%

Question 31

Hemp requires fewer pesticides and yield more pulp per hectare. What other source of pulp provides this benefit?

A)rice straw
B)animal fats
C)wood
D)agricultural residues
E)kenaf

Question 32

Forests cover about ____% of the U.S. land area.

A)0
B)3
C)10
D)30
E)50

Question 33

One of the reasons for cutting trees is to provide pulp for making paper. However, paper can be made from a number of other sources. What is not a viable source of paper?

A)rice straw
B)animal fats
C)hemp
D)agricultural residues
E)kenaf

Question 34

Ecologists and forest fire experts recommend several strategies for reducing fire-related harm to forests and people. What is one of those strategies?

A)Encourage growth of young trees and underbrush.
B)Set small, contained surface fires in highest-risk forest areas.
C)Set crown fires in highest-risk forest areas.
D)Prevent all fires on public lands.
E)Thin a zone of 150 meters around houses and buildings in fire prone areas.

Question 35

Conservationists around the world are using a design in which an inner core of a reserve is surrounded by two protective areas. This design is known as ____.

A)habitat corridors
B)buffer zone concept
C)wilderness concept
D)transition zones
E)reserve concept

Question 36

What is not considered a major problem for U.S. public parks today?

A)introduction of nonnative species
B)killing of native species
C)polluted air
D)agricultural runoff
E)deferred repairs of infrastructure

Question 37

Tropical forests in the Amazon basin and other South American countries are primarily being cleared or burned for ____.

A)biodiesel fuel for motor vehicles
B)cattle grazing and soybean plantations
C)firewood and small-scale farming
D)oil palm and paper pulp plantations
E)coffee and spice plantations

Question 38

One preservation strategy for the remaining grasslands in the Southwestern U.S. involves land trust groups that pay ranchers for ____, which are deed restrictions that bar future owners from developing the land.

A)conservation easements
B)conservation incentives
C)preservation laws
D)wildnerness incentives
E)wilderness provisions

Question 39

Four of the following are ways to grow and harvest trees more sustainably; one is not. Choose the one that is not.

A)Halt clear-cutting on steep slopes.
B)Eliminate logging of old-growth forests.
C)Identify and protect forest areas high in biodiversity.
D)Leave most standing dead trees.
E)Increase road building into uncut areas.

Question 40

In the United States, about ____% of the forests are protected.

A)10
B)20
C)30
D)40
E)50

Question 41

Tree farms are more biologically diverse than second-growth forests.

Question 42

What term refers to land officially designated as an area where natural communities have not been seriously disturbed by humans, and where harmful human activities are limited by law?

A)a nature reserve
B)wilderness
C)a national park
D)biospheres
E)remote and pristine

Question 43

Forests covering approximately 30% of the U.S. land area supply about two-thirds of the nation's surface water.

Question 44

In 1995-1996, gray wolves were re-introduced to Yellowstone National Park. Since then, which of the following has occurred?

A)Scavengers are not able to find food.
B)Beaver dams have disappeared from the streams.
C)Elk have increasingly trampled regrowth of aspen, cottonwoods, and willow trees.
D)Shade trees growing along streams have encouraged larger trout populations.
E)Coyote populations have decreased the number of small mammals.

Question 45

In the last 8,000 years, humans have reduced the earth's original forest cover by about 23%.

Question 46

If current deforestation rates continue about 40% of all the world's remaining intact forests will have been logged or converted to other uses in 20 years.

Question 47

Sixty percent of the world's forests are old-growth forests.

Question 48

Someday, tree plantations may supply most of the world's demand for industrial wood.

Question 49

Many biologists and wildlife conservationists believe that the best way to keep from hastening the extinction of wild species through human activities is to protect threatened habitats and ecosystem services. This is referred to as ____.

A)the wilderness approach
B)ecosystem rehabilitation
C)environmental conservation
D)the ecosystem approach
E)biodiversity consideration

Question 50

We can all help sustain terrestrial biodiversity through various measures. Which of the following methods is least effective in sustaining biodiversity?

A)Plant trees and take care of them.
B)Recycle paper and use recycled products.
C)Buy sustainable wood and wood products.
D)Help restore nearby degraded forests or grasslands.
E)Eliminate local plants from your household garden.

Question 51

Most conservation biologists believe the most important reasons for protecting wilderness and other areas from exploitation and degradation involve the ____.

A)recreational opportunities for humans
B)economic benefits to large populations
C)immediate needs of all species
D)immediate needs of endangered species
E)long-term needs of all species

Question 52

What term refers to the process of repairing damage caused by humans to the biodiversity and ecosystem services provided by ecosystems?

A)ecological restoration
B)ecological rehabilitation
C)ecological conservation
D)ecological preservation
E)ecological reconciliation

Question 53

Up to 60% of the wood consumed in the U.S. is wasted unnecessarily.

Question 54

Michael Rosenzweig suggests we need to learn how to share with other species the spaces we dominate. He calls this new form of conservation biology ____.

A)reconciliation ecology
B)rehabilitation ecology
C)refurbishment biology
D)community building
E)formation building

Question 55

Areas especially rich in plant species that are found nowhere else and are in great danger of extinction are called ____.

A)biodiversity friendly
B)natural ecosystems
C)emergency hotspots
D)biodiversity hotspots
E)liferaft ecosystems

Question 56

A majority of the loss of the tropical forests has occurred over the past 200 years.

Question 57

Researchers have suggested four principles for carrying out most forms of ecological restoration and rehabilitation. Which one of the following is not one of these principles?

A)Find the cause of the degradation.
B)Stop the abuse by eliminating the causes.
C)Encourage the development of economic zones in the ecosystem.
D)Reintroduce species, especially keystone, foundation, and pioneer species.
E)Protect the area from further degradation.

Question 58

Forest fires are not a major threat to forest ecosystems as part of a natural cycle.

Question 59

A 1997 report estimated the value of the ecological services provided to humans by forests to be at least $4.7 trillion.

Question 60

Four of the following are measures to speed up ecosystem recovery; one is not. Choose the one that is not.

A)rehabilitation
B)secondary succession
C)replacement
D)creating artificial ecosystems
E)restoration

Question 61

Parks in developing countries possess the least biodiversity of all parks.

Question 62

Almost every natural place on earth has been affected or degraded to some degree by ____________________.

Question 63

Even though parks in less-developed countries have the greatest biodiversity, only about ____________________% of them are protected.

Question 64

Some scientists urge the adoption of a(n)____________________ strategy to identify and quickly protect biodiversity hotspots.

Question 65

Forest losses are concentrated in ____________________ countries.

Question 66

Humans have reserved ____________________% of the earth's land for human use.

Question 67

Most biologists believe that we should care about sustaining forests because they provide valuable ____________________ and ____________________ services.

Question 68

The first step in harvesting trees is to build ____________________.

Question 69

One of the biggest problems for national parks in the U.S. is ____________________.

Question 70

Brazil has more than ____________________% of the world's remaining tropical rain forests.

Question 71

Only 5% of U.S. land is protected as wilderness, and most of that is in Alaska.

Question 72

Livestock graze in ____________________, which are managed grasslands or enclosed meadows, usually planted with domesticated grasses or other forage.

Question 73

Degradation of a tropical forest usually begins when a(n)____________________ is cut deep into the forest.

Question 74

Efforts are under way to make charcoal out of fibers left over from processing sugar cane.

Question 75

Forests that cover about 30% of the U.S. land area provide habitats for ____________________% of the country's wildlife species.

Question 76

According to the USDA, within _______________ we could eliminate the need to use trees to make paper by using kenaf.

Question 77

As much as ____________________% of the wood consumed in the United States is wasted unnecessarily.

Question 78

Only about 1% of national parks in less-developed countries are protected.

Question 79

Even moderate levels of grazing are unhealthy for grasslands.

Question 80

Poor countries with tropical forests can be encouraged to protect their forests by using ____________________ to provide financial incentives.