Question 1

The wood thrush makes its nest in woodlands in the northern and eastern United States. As patches of woods become smaller, increasing numbers of wood thrush nests have eggs laid in them by the brown -headed cowbird. Cowbirds live in open fields and are nest parasites; the female cowbird flies up to an unattended nest, quickly lays an egg in it, and leaves the host parents to raise their "adopted" young. Wood thrushes are decreasing in numbers because .
A) climate change is reducing nest site availability
B) habitat fragmentation makes it easier for cowbird parasitism to occur
C) cowbirds are an invasive species that is rapidly increasing
D) pollution of the open fields has caused a change in cowbird behavior
E) overharvesting in the open fields has driven the cowbirds into the woodlands

Accepted Answer

Habitat fragmentation creates smaller patches of woodlands that are more accessible to cowbirds, which increases the likelihood of their parasitism on wood thrush nests. This, in turn, reduces the number of wood thrushes, as they are less successful in raising their own young due to competition from the cowbird chicks.

Question 2

What do researchers hope to accomplish by performing genetic analyses on confiscated ivory?
A) They hope to determine whether the ivory came from elephants or from seals.
B) They hope to determine whether possession of the ivory violated international treaties.
C) They hope to determine how long ago each animal was killed for its ivory.
D) They hope to learn more about the extent of inbreeding of elephants in different areas of Africa.
E) They hope to determine where the elephants were poached.

Accepted Answer

Researchers hope to determine where the elephants were poached by performing genetic analyses on confiscated ivory. This can help with identifying poaching hotspots and addressing the root causes of illegal ivory trade.

Question 3

Wildlife in the Serengeti is currently threatened by .
A) plans to build a highway that passes through the park
B) an invasive fish that has been introduced into the major river that flows through the park
C) an overabundance of elephants
D) pollution from a nearby coal power plant
E) plans to legalize hunting of most of the large animal species in the park

Accepted Answer

Plans to build a highway that passes through the park would cause habitat destruction and disrupt the migration patterns of many wildlife species in the Serengeti.

Question 4

The butterflies you established in your yard are now thriving, but you notice that some of the caterpillars are falling victim to predators and parasites. After some study and consultation, you wisely decide to .
A) plant more host plants in several different areas but otherwise do nothing
B) give up on the butterfly species you'd encouraged and try to attract new species.
C) spray pesticides on the plants to control the predators
D) catch and kill the predators and parasites by hand
E) resume spraying pesticides on the lawn

Accepted Answer

Planting more host plants in different areas can help caterpillars by providing more resources and spreading out the risk of predation or parasitism, without resorting to harmful chemicals or interventions that could disrupt the ecosystem balance.

Question 5

In his 2005 book, Richard Louv maintains that today's children .
A) should not participate in environmental education programs until high school
B) should not be exposed to the dangers of natural ecosystems
C) develop more balanced emotions in urban compared to natural settings
D) have a better understanding of natural environments than their grandparents
E) suffer psychologically and emotionally from "nature deficit disorder"

Accepted Answer

Richard Louv argues in his book that children suffer from "nature deficit disorder," which refers to the psychological and emotional costs of being disconnected from nature. He suggests that children today spend less time in natural environments than previous generations, leading to a range of negative impacts on their mental and physical health.

Question 6

One of the ongoing problems for wild California condors is .
A) that they readily succumb to sylvatic plague, which can ravage an entire colony of condors in a matter of weeks
B) that there are so few of them that they cannot find mates
C) that the federal government refuses to list the condor as being endangered because doing so would have a negative impact on the oil and gas industry
D) that people continue to hunt condors for sport, despite the bird's being listed as federally endangered and despite the educational campaigns that teach young people the value of having condors in an ecosystem
E) that lead shot is still used for hunting, and the lead can build up in a condor's system because condors eat dead animals that have been shot

Accepted Answer

Lead shot used for hunting is a major ongoing problem for wild California condors. The lead can build up in their system when they eat dead animals that have been shot, leading to lead poisoning and death.

Question 7

From your experiences with the lawn and the butterfly garden, you can affirm that .
A) higher biodiversity of plants means a lower biodiversity of animals
B) once natural habitats are altered or destroyed they can never be restored, even in part
C) pesticides need to be used to maintain a diversity of native species
D) native plant landscaping can be done so that no predators or parasites are present
E) native plants are more likely than exotic species to support local herbivores

Accepted Answer

Native plants have co-evolved with local herbivores, making them more suitable to support these animals compared to exotic species, which may not provide the necessary nutrients or may be inedible to local herbivores.

Question 8

Which of the following activities would violate CITES?
A) Your friend shoots a bald eagle that seems to be eying the calf he has been raising for his 4 -H project.
B) Your friend brings back an ivory chess set that he bought while on safari in Lesotho.
C) Your friend catches a small -mouth bass that is technically not large enough to keep, but he keeps it and cooks it for dinner instead of releasing it.
D) Your friend transports firewood infested with emerald ash borer from Minneapolis to the Black Hills of South Dakota, inadvertently introducing the pest to Rapid City, where it destroys all of the ash trees in the city within a decade.
E) Your friend breaks into a California condor breeding facility and releases all of the condors being raised there because he feels sorry for them.

Accepted Answer

CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) is an international agreement that regulates the trade of wild animals and plants to protect them from overexploitation. Ivory is one of the most commonly poached species, and the international trade of ivory has been banned under CITES since 1989. Bringing back an ivory chess set would therefore violate CITES.

Question 9

You also decide to greatly reduce the amount of chemical fertilizers you use in your landscape and rely more on mulching and composting. This will benefit your yard "ecosystem" by .
A) increasing the populations of butterflies
B) making habitats for pollinators
C) increasing the biodiversity of soil organisms, including decomposers
D) decreasing the plant biodiversity of the yard
E) decreasing the number of predatory animals and insects

Accepted Answer

Reducing chemical fertilizers and using mulching and composting enhances soil health, promoting a diverse community of soil organisms and decomposers.

Question 10

Endemic species are .
A) usually the dominant species within an ecosystem
B) limited to just one location, such as an island
C) on the brink of extinction
D) widely distributed, found especially on large continents
E) well established and show the least risk of extinction

Accepted Answer

Endemic species are limited to a specific geographic location, such as an island, and are not found anywhere else in the world. This makes them more vulnerable to extinction if their habitat is threatened or destroyed.

Question 11

The causes of the current (sixth) mass extinction include all of the following EXCEPT .
A) earthquakes, tsunamis, and forest fires
B) habitat alteration and destruction
C) invasive exotic species
D) global climate change
E) pollution from pesticides, eutrophication, and other causes

Accepted Answer

While earthquakes, tsunamis, and forest fires can cause localized destruction of habitats and loss of species, they are not considered major drivers of the current mass extinction. The primary causes are habitat alteration and destruction, invasive exotic species, global climate change, and pollution from pesticides, eutrophication, and other causes.

Question 12

The introduction of onto the island of Guam has resulted in the extinction of most of the endemic forest bird species on the island.
A) kudzu
B) European starlings
C) cane toads
D) Nile perch
E) brown tree snakes

Accepted Answer

The brown tree snake was accidentally introduced to Guam after World War II and has since caused the extinction of many endemic forest bird species through predation. Kudzu is a plant species that can be invasive, but it does not directly prey on bird species. European starlings are non-native to North America but have not been introduced to Guam. Cane toads are not present on Guam. Nile perch is a freshwater fish species introduced to Lake Victoria, not Guam.

Question 13

Contrary to popular belief, the Endangered Species Act allows .
A) landowners to harm a protected species in one area if they improve habitat for it elsewhere
B) international trade in protected species to aid in times of economic hardship
C) landowners to kill endangered species for food if necessary
D) habitats of protected species to be developed or logged as long as no individuals of the species are killed
E) endangered species to be hunted as long as records are kept of numbers and sex of individuals taken

Accepted Answer

The Endangered Species Act does allow landowners to harm a protected species in one area if they improve habitat for it elsewhere, but this is only through a permit process and does require mitigation measures to be taken to ensure the species is not harmed overall. The other choices listed are not allowed under the Endangered Species Act.

Question 14

Paleontologists estimate that .
A) 99% of all species that have ever existed are now extinct
B) more than 99% of all species alive today have been discovered and described
C) extinction is tied exclusively to human activities
D) more species are alive today than ever before
E) biodiversity is evenly spread over the earth's biomes

Accepted Answer

This estimate is widely accepted in the scientific community, based on the fossil record and the known extinction rates.

Quiz 11: Geology, Minerals, and Mining

What do researchers hope to accomplish by performing genetic analyses on confiscated ivory?

Wildlife in the Serengeti is currently threatened by .

The butterflies you established in your yard are now thriving, but you notice that some of the caterpillars are falling victim to predators and parasites. After some study and consultation, you wisely decide to .

In his 2005 book, Richard Louv maintains that today's children .

One of the ongoing problems for wild California condors is .

From your experiences with the lawn and the butterfly garden, you can affirm that .

Which of the following activities would violate CITES?

You also decide to greatly reduce the amount of chemical fertilizers you use in your landscape and rely more on mulching and composting. This will benefit your yard "ecosystem" by .

Endemic species are .

The causes of the current (sixth) mass extinction include all of the following EXCEPT .

The introduction of onto the island of Guam has resulted in the extinction of most of the endemic forest bird species on the island.

Contrary to popular belief, the Endangered Species Act allows .

Paleontologists estimate that .