Deck 6: Sustaining Biodiversity: The Ecosystem Approach

Question 1

The removal of a band of trees along a natural contour that allows the forest to regenerate naturally within a few years is called

A)selective cutting.
B)seed-tree cutting.
C)clear-cutting.
D)shelterwood cutting.
E)strip cutting.

Answer 1

E

Question 2

An area of forest that is repeatedly clear-cut and replanted in order to provide commercial wood products is called a(n)

A)old growth forest.
B)tree farm.
C)pulp mill.
D)second growth forest.
E)virgin forest.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

An arrangement where a developing nation protects some forest area in exchange for debt relief or financial support from a developed nation is called

A)bankruptcy.
B)a conservation easement.
C)a land sale.
D)a debt for nature swap.
E)a conservation concession.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The removal of a single or small groups of mature trees is called

A)selective cutting.
B)seed-tree cutting.
C)clear-cutting.
D)shelterwood cutting.
E)strip cutting.

Question 5

Ecological services provided by forests typically

A)destabilize climate change.
B)are an infinite supply of ecological income.
C)are not essential for humans and their economies.
D)are worth hundreds of times less than their economic value.
E)are worth hundreds of times more than their economic value.

Question 6

Forests provide habitats for about ____ of U.S. wildlife species.

A)50%
B)60%
C)70%
D)80%
E)90%

Question 7

Currently, most of the world's forests are

A)secondary-growth.
B)old-growth.
C)tree plantations.
D)clear cut.
E)protected.

Question 8

In order to maintain ecological integrity and prevent depletion of biodiversity, conservation biologists recommend that a minimum of ____ of the globe's land be protected.

A)5%
B)10%
C)12%
D)20%
E)30%

Question 9

The removal of all trees from a given area in a single cutting is called

A)selective cutting.
B)seed-tree cutting.
C)clear-cutting.
D)shelterwood cutting.
E)strip cutting.

Question 10

Large areas of farmlands, woodlands, and green spaces in the United States have been protected by private, nonprofit groups called

A)urban green space.
B)ecologists for conservation.
C)debt-for-nature.
D)land trusts.
E)biosphere conservation.

Question 11

An example of natural capital degradation as a result of deforestation is

A)improved ecological services.
B)increased biodiversity.
C)logging.
D)habitat loss for native species
E)ocean acidification.

Question 12

Tropical forests are being deforested mostly as a result of

A)sustainable small-scale farming and raising of cash crops.
B)cattle ranching and commercial logging.
C)CITES.
D)ecotourism.
E)capital to pay off governmental debt.

Question 13

According to most scientists, wilderness areas serve which primary purpose?

A)providing economic resources
B)eliminating mining
C)preserving biological diversity
D)encouraging subsistence farming
E)maintaining buffer zones

Question 14

Tropical forests are important sources of biodiversity because

A)they are exclusively in warm climates.
B)they are located in the Southern Hemisphere.
C)their proximity to urban populations.
D)their competition with deserts, which are also biodiversity hotspots.
E)at least half of the known terrestrial species of terrestrial plants, animals, and insects live in tropical forests.

Question 15

Wolves were reintroduced to the Yellowstone ecosystem in ____.

A)1620
B)the 1920s
C)1954
D)1995
E)2003

Question 16

Which of the following statements is true about tree plantations?

A)Tree plantations decrease overall forest biodiversity.
B)Tree plantations increase overall forest biodiversity.
C)The majority of tree plantations in the U.S. have been replaced by old-growth forests.
D)Tree plantations are best established on land that has not been degraded.
E)More tree plantations in the U.S. will lead the way for more biologically diverse primary growth forests.

Question 17

Forests cover about ____ of the United States.

A)1/2
B)1/3
C)1/4
D)1/5
E)1/6

Question 18

Currently, ____ of the earth's land area is protected either strictly or partially by nature reserves, parks, wildlife refuges, wilderness and other areas.

A)5%
B)10%
C)12%
D)20%
E)30%

Question 19

An arrangement where a developing nation receives payment from a developed nation to preserve their natural resources is called

A)bankruptcy.
B)a conservation easement.
C)a land sale.
D)a debt for nature swap.
E)a conservation concession.

Question 20

Which of the following statements about tropical forests is false?

A)Tropical forests cover about 6% of the earth's land area.
B)Tropical forests grow near the equator.
C)Over half of the world's tropical forests have already been cleared or degraded.
D)Reforestation is ensuring that all tropical forests are being used on a sustainable-yield basis.
E)Tropical forests are a significant storehouse for carbon.

Question 21

Which Central American country has established a system of reserves and national parks that, by 2008, has included about a quarter of its land, and is at the forefront of biodiversity conservation?

A)Nicaragua
B)Costa Rica
C)Panama
D)El Salvador
E)Honduras

Question 22

Which statement best describes wilderness areas in the United States?

A)They are regions of low biological diversity.
B)They must be surrounded by development.
C)They cannot have buffer zones because of regulations.
D)They are officially designated areas to be undisturbed by humans.
E)They are areas of significant deforestation.

Question 23

Zebra mussels have been successful invasive species in the Great Lakes because they

A)can survive in dam rivers, which restrict natural river flow.
B)have no natural enemies.
C)destroy wetlands.
D)arrived in the ballast water of a European ship.
E)suck the blood out of almost any kind of fish.

Question 24

Costa Rica has moved from having one of the world's highest deforestation rates to having one of the lowest, in part, due to

A)harvesting of sea turtle eggs.
B)excluding local and indigenous people from conservation efforts.
C)increasing subsidies for converting forests to rangeland.
D)utilizing ecotourism as a major source of income.
E)logging.

Question 25

In developed countries, many national parks are in danger

A)due to excessive logging.
B)due to poaching.
C)of becoming habitat islands due to surrounding development.
D)of becoming biodiversity hot spots.
E)due to land for debt swaps.

Question 26

Vegetation in some parts of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is threatened by ____ that were introduced to North Carolina from Europe in 1912.

A)mountain goats
B)white-tailed deer
C)wild boar
D)rabbits
E)long-horn sheep

Question 27

The U.S. national park system includes ____ major national parks.

A)12
B)28
C)58
D)100
E)110

Question 28

Which approach is being used by some countries to protect and sustain marine biodiversity?

A)harvesting the ocean's food supply
B)understanding that the sea is an inexhaustible resource
C)establishing marine sanctuaries
D)focusing on ocean acidification
E)creating artificial ecosystems

Question 29

Ecologists have identified ____ megadiversity countries that contain two thirds of all species.

A)17
B)24
C)34
D)44
E)54

Question 30

Only 2% of the earth's land surface is covered by terrestrial biodiversity hotspots. How many of the world's flowering plant species live in these hot spots?

A)0.5%
B)2%
C)12%
D)30%
E)50%

Question 31

Marine areas where no human activity is allowed are called

A)marine reserves.
B)MPAs.
C)coral reefs.
D)coastal zones.
E)ocean parks.

Question 32

Biodiversity hotspots are

A)typically near coral reefs and have low rates of endangered species.
B)cover more than 25% of the earth's land surface.
C)areas especially rich in plant species that are found nowhere else and are in great danger of extinction.
D)freshwater habitats threatened by invasive species.
E)only found in habitat islands near volcanoes.

Question 33

Reconciliation ecology is the science of

A)protecting land from industrial development.
B)creating megareserves.
C)restoring terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
D)establishing biodiversity within areas of human settlement and use.
E)creating artificial ecosystems.

Question 34

What country contains the highest concentration of endangered animals?

A)Mexico
B)United States of America
C)Costa Rica
D)Trinidad and Tobago
E)Tanzania

Question 35

In general, marine biodiversity is greatest in

A)the Atlantic Ocean.
B)the Pacific Ocean.
C)the bottom region of the ocean.
D)moderate ocean depths.
E)the surface region of the ocean

Question 36

The reintroduction of wolves into the Yellowstone ecosystem has been considered a success because

A)the wolves are thriving.
B)local ranchers fear that wolves will attach cattle.
C)ecotourism has decreased.
D)biodiversity of the ecosystem has been re-established and sustained.
E)global warming has ceased.

Question 37

Most of Madagascar's native species exist only on Madagascar because the island

A)as among the largest on the earth.
B)is a biodiversity hotspot.
C)as been isolated for approximately 40 million years.
D)is tropical.
E)is situated far from other biodiversity hot spots..

Question 38

According to the National Park Service, air pollution affects scenic views in national parks more than ____ of the time.

A)90%
B)75%
C)50%
D)40%
E)30%

Question 39

The term "ecological restoration" refers to

A)a destructive consequence of road building.
B)the process of repairing damage caused by humans to the biodiversity and dynamics of natural ecosystems.
C)the natural cycles of habitat destruction.
D)the process that corals and sea snails use to create shells using carbonate ions.
E)an ecological initiative using small scale farming.

Question 40

The process of returning a degraded habitat or ecosystem to a condition as similar as possible to its natural state is known as

A)restoration.
B)rehabilitation.
C)replacement.
D)creating artificial ecosystems.
E)deforestation.

Question 41

Forest fires are common natural occurrences in healthy rain forests.

Question 42

Protecting watersheds is important to protecting freshwater biodiversity, since water and land are connected.

Question 43

Forests cover less of the U.S. today than they did in 1920.

Question 44

Reducing soil erosion, purifying air and water, and influencing climate are examples of the ____________________ of forests.

Question 45

____________________ contributes to the greenhouse effect by destroying plants that use carbon dioxide.

Question 46

Tropical forests account for 25% of the earth's forested areas.

Question 47

Mining, recreation, lumber, and fuel wood are examples of the ____________________ of forests.

Question 48

The human ecological footprint is expanding so rapidly that it is difficult to monitor its impacts on aquatic systems.

Question 49

Forests that have grown in an area through secondary ecological succession after a human or natural disturbance are called ____________________.

Question 50

Excluding Greenland and Antarctica, forests cover about 31% of the earth's land.

Question 51

The removal of large tracts of forestland for human use is called deforestation.

Question 52

More freshwater fish are threatened with extinction than any other type of species.

Question 53

Conversion of forests and woodlands to agricultural land contributes to the growing problem of ____________________.

Question 54

Marine habitats are rapidly experiencing high rates of species extinction due to environmental factors such as the rapid growth of coastal development and poor management of the habitats.

Question 55

Commercial forests grow exclusively Christmas trees.

Question 56

Storage of atmospheric carbon is an important ecological role of forests.

Question 57

Strip cutting is a less damaging variation of clear cutting.

Question 58

The U.S. has set aside a larger proportion of land area for biodiversity than any other country in the world.

Question 59

The reintroduction of the gray wolf has reduced biodiversity in the Yellowstone National Park ecosystem.

Question 60

Mangrove forests are important ecosystems in which fish species spawn.

Question 61

Critical Thinking

Building the dirt road in the accompanying figure could be seen by some as a benefit. List three potential benefits building a dirt road in an area such as this.

Question 62

Reversing environmental damage to the biodiversity and natural dynamics of an ecosystem caused by humans is called ____________________.

Question 63

Identify three major economical and three major ecological benefits of forest ecosystems.

Question 64

Why are buffer zones important components of megareserves?

Question 65

Critical Thinking

Name the type of harvesting method that has been employed in the area shown in the accompanying figure.

Question 66

How have marine reserves helped marine ecosystems?

Question 67

The creation of an human-managed wetland is an example of a(n) ____________________.

Question 68

Critical Thinking

List three potential harmful effects that could have occurred after the dirt road in the accompanying figure was built in the area.

Question 69

What is ocean acidification and why is it a threat to marine biodiversity?

Question 70

Identify the four steps to tropical deforestation.

Question 71

Since 1986, the World Conservation Union has helped establish a global system of ____________________, which provide oceans with partial protection from human activities.

Question 72

Discuss at least three difficulties associated with protecting marine fisheries.

Question 73

Rapidly growing coastal development, along with increased sedimentation of coastal waters makes protecting ____________________ difficult.

Question 74

The ____________________ to sustaining biodiversity involves protecting habitats, biodiversity and ecological services instead of individual species.

Question 75

List and define four types of ecological restoration. Why is restoration important?