Deck 22: Landscape Ecology, Biogeography, and Global Biodiversity

Question 1

The number of species in a relatively small area of homogeneous habitat is called

A) regional diversity.
B) local diversity.
C) regional species pool.
D) gamma diversity.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

A long-lasting influence of historical processes on the current ecology of an area is called a _____ effect.

A) retention
B) landscape
C) legacy
D) spatial

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which of the following describes the log-log form of the species area curve?

A) log S + log c = z log A
B) log S = log c × z log A
C) log S = log c + z log A
D) log S + z log A = log c

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Eskers are legacy effects of

A) volcanic eruptions.
B) asteroid strikes.
C) glaciers.
D) floods.

Question 5

A regional species pool is the collection of species

A) that differ in occurrence within a region.
B) that differ in occurrence between two habitats.
C) in a relatively small area of homogeneous habitat.
D) in a large area of homogeneous habitat.

Question 6

A classic study by MacArthur and Wilson demonstrated that as the size of islands increases, species

A) richness increases.
B) richness decreases.
C) diversity increases.
D) diversity decreases.

Question 7

Which field considers the spatial arrangement of habitats at different scales?

A) community ecology
B) landscape ecology
C) ecosystem ecology
D) population ecology

Question 8

Which of the following is NOT an effect of fragmentation of a large contiguous habitat?

A) The amount of edge habitat decreases.
B) The total amount of habitat decreases.
C) The number of habitat patches increases.
D) Patch isolation increases.

Question 9

In species-area curves, S represents

A) number of species.
B) area of the site.
C) species diversity.
D) a constant fitted to the data.

Question 10

In the log-log form of the species-area curve, the slope of the relationship, z, is typically

A) 0.5 to 1.
B) 0.2 to 0.35.
C) 0.1 to 0.15.
D) 1 to 2.

Question 11

Which is NOT a way that edge habitat differs from interior habitat?

A) Edge habitat has more sunlight.
B) Edge habitat has warmer temperatures.
C) Edge habitat has higher soil moisture.
D) Edge habitat has higher rates of evaporation.

Question 12

How does fire cause habitat heterogeneity?

Question 13

What do studies of Roman Empire settlements tell us about the legacy effects of humans on the landscape? How do human settlements cause legacy effects?

Question 14

Local species diversity is also called _____ diversity.

A) gamma
B) beta
C) alpha
D) delta

Question 15

All of the species in all of the habitats that constitute a large geographic area are called

A) regional diversity.
B) alpha diversity.
C) local diversity.
D) regional species pool.

Question 16

As habitat _____, species diversity _____.

A) homogeneity decreases; decreases
B) homogeneity increases; increases
C) heterogeneity decreases; increases
D) heterogeneity increases; increases

Question 17

Which of the following equations describes the species-area curve?

A) S = cAz
B) A = cSz
C) S = czA
D) SA = cz

Question 18

Arranging species in the regional pool among localities according to their adaptations and interactions is called _____ sorting.

A) biodiversity
B) species
C) gamma
D) alpha

Question 19

Researchers studying soil conditions and plant species between 1 and 500 metres from former Roman settlements found that sites closer to settlements had

A) higher soil PH.
B) more available phosphorus.
C) greater species richness.
D) all of the above.

Question 20

Regional species diversity is also called _____ diversity.

A) beta
B) alpha
C) delta
D) gamma

Question 21

Which of the following would be expected to have the largest population at equilibrium?

A) large near island
B) large far island
C) small near island
D) small far island

Question 22

In the equilibrium theory of island biogeography, occurs where extinction _____ colonization.

A) is greater than
B) equals
C) is less than
D) none of the above

Question 23

When habitat is fragmented, a(n) _____ forms along the edges.

A) ecotone
B) biome
C) mesocosm
D) microhabitat

Question 24

MacArthur and Wilson's theory of island biogeography considers both species-area relationships and

A) biomes.
B) productivity.
C) isolation.
D) environment.

Question 25

Given average temperature and humidity, potential evapotranspiration is the amount of water that could be

A) evaporated from the soil.
B) transpired by plants.
C) evaporated from the habitat.
D) evaporated from the soil and transpired by plants.

Question 26

Islands at equilibrium that are farther from the mainland contain fewer species than nearer islands at equilibrium because farther islands have

A) less colonization.
B) greater emigration.
C) less isolation.
D) greater extinction.

Question 27

Smaller islands at equilibrium contain fewer species than larger islands at equilibrium because smaller islands have

A) less colonization.
B) greater extinction.
C) greater isolation.
D) greater emigration.

Question 28

The equilibrium theory of island biogeography states that the number of species on an island reflects a balance between

A) emigration of existing species and extinction of existing species.
B) colonization of new species and extinction of existing species.
C) evolution of new species and emigration of existing species.
D) colonization of new species and emigration of existing species.

Question 29

For marine organisms, the highest diversity is seen at _____ and the lowest diversity is seen at _____.

A) low longitudes; high longitudes
B) high longitudes; low longitudes
C) low latitudes; high latitudes
D) high latitudes; low latitudes

Question 30

PET is a measurement that combines the amount of solar radiation and

A) temperature.
B) precipitation.
C) transpiration.
D) evaporation.

Question 31

A graph of the number of species observed in relation to the number of individuals sampled is called a species _____ curve.

A) increase
B) accretion
C) accumulation
D) area

Question 32

Which of the following is NOT associated with low terrestrial diversity?

A) recent glaciation
B) variation in vegetation
C) high temperature
D) low precipitation

Question 33

How can we apply the theory of island biogeography to determine which characteristics might give a nature reserve the highest probable success rate in preserving a region's biodiversity? Discuss size, number, proximity, spatial arrangement, connectivity, and shape of the reserve.

Question 34

How does habitat fragmentation increase the total edge habitat? Describe the effect of habitat fragmentation on a 600-metre by 600-metre forest plot that has been divided into nine 200-metre by 200-metre sections using calculations of edge size.

Question 35

Small intervening patches that dispersing organisms can use to move between large favourable habitats are called

A) habitat corridors.
B) stepping stones.
C) glades.
D) matrix pathways.

Question 36

In the Northern Hemisphere, the number of species of plants generally

A) decreases from east to west.
B) increases from east to west.
C) decreases from north to south.
D) increases from north to south.

Question 37

In North America, amphibian diversity is greatest in the

A) northeast.
B) northwest.
C) southeast.
D) southwest.

Question 38

Based on the theory of island biogeography, which statement about reserve designs is TRUE?

A) Small reserves are better than large reserves.
B) Oval reserves are better than circular reserves.
C) One large reserve is better than many small reserves.
D) Remote reserves are better than nearby reserves.

Question 39

In North America, the number of species of mammals generally
A) decreases from east to west.

A) increases from north to south.
B) decreases from north to south.
C) increases from east to west.

Question 40

In North America, reptile diversity is greatest in the

A) south.
B) east.
C) west.
D) north.

Question 41

(Figure 22.27) What caused changing tree distributions seen in the figure? As global warming increases temperatures, what can be expected to happen to tree distributions of spruce, hemlock, and oak?

Question 42

Time since glaciation is one possible predictor of species diversity. Explain how time since glaciation leads to differences in terrestrial diversity between polar and tropical regions.

Question 43

According to the _____ hypothesis, sites with higher amounts of energy are able to support more species.

A) energetic-diversity
B) energy-diversity
C) energy-biodiversity
D) bioenergetics-diversity

Question 44

(Figure 22.24) As you can see in the figure, species richness for animals and plants increases with average potential evapotranspiration, but the curves level off at high levels of evapotranspiration. Why are high levels of evapotranspiration associated with a plateau in species richness?

Question 45

Marine environments are most diverse in _____ environments and most productive in _____ environments.

A) tropical; tropical
B) tropical; temperate
C) temperate; tropical
D) temperate; temperate

Question 46

Eventually _____ split into South America, Africa, Antarctica, Australia, and India.

A) Gondwana
B) Pangaea
C) Indomalaysia
D) Laurasia

Question 47

Which of the following is NOT a Southern Hemisphere biogeographic region?

A) Afrotropical
B) Indomalayan
C) Nearctic
D) Neotropical

Question 48

The movement of landmasses across the surface of Earth is called

A) tectonic spread.
B) Pangaea.
C) continental drift.
D) continental divide.

Question 49

About 150 million years ago the single landmass separated into northern and southern landmasses called

A) Laurasia and Gondwana.
B) Gondwana and Afrotropica.
C) Pangaea and Laurasia.
D) Nearctica and Palearctica.

Question 50

In which biogeographic region is Canada?

A) Neotropical
B) Nearctic
C) Palearctic
D) Indomalayan

Question 51

Which biogeographic region is also called the Oriental region?

A) Indomalayan
B) Afrotropical
C) Australian
D) Palearctic

Question 52

About 250 million years ago, all of the Earth's landmasses were joined as a single landmass called

A) Pangaea.
B) Gondwana.
C) Laurasia.
D) Indomalaysia.

Question 53

Eventually _____ split into North America, Europe, and Asia.

A) Gondwana
B) Pangaea
C) Laurasia
D) Neotropica

Question 54

When the continents divided 60 million years ago, there was a land bridge between

A) Africa and Europe.
B) India and Asia.
C) North America and South America.
D) Asia and North America.

Question 55

In which biogeographic region is Egypt?

A) Neotropical
B) Afrotropical
C) Indomalayan
D) Palearctic

Question 56

Why does Australia have a wide variety of unique animals and plants? Give examples.

Question 57

Landmass movement occurs because islands of _____ rock are moved by _____ currents of semimolten material.
A) high-density; conduction
A) high-density; convection

A) low-density; convection
B) low-density; conduction

Question 58

North and South America were joined by the Isthmus of Panama

A) 3 million to 6 million years ago.
B) 10 million to 12 million years ago.
C) 5 million to 8 million years ago.
D) 1 million to 2 million years ago.