Question 1

Which one of the following biology topics would be least useful to a conservation biologist?

Accepted Answer

Cladistics is a method of classifying organisms based on characteristics that are derived from a common ancestor. While this is an important concept in evolutionary biology, it is not directly applicable to conservation biology, which focuses more on preserving species and ecosystems rather than classifying them. The other topics, such as the bottleneck effect, endemism, island biogeography, and evolutionary theory, are all directly relevant to conservation biology as they can inform conservation strategies and help protect biodiversity.

Question 2

Which one of the following was not an observation made in studies of the decline in populations of the American redstart,a migratory songbird?

Accepted Answer

The observation that American redstarts with high levels of ¹³C in their tissues arrive earlier at their summer breeding grounds is not consistent with typical findings, as high ¹³C levels are usually associated with suboptimal habitats, which would likely delay arrival.

Question 3

Which one of the following statements about preservation of flying foxes in the Old World tropics is false?

Accepted Answer

Flying foxes are not largely endemic; they are found across a wide range of the Old World tropics, so their decline does not necessarily have a large, community-wide impact in terms of endemism.

Question 4

Which one of the following pairings of conservation concern and an organism illustrating the consequences of that concern is incorrect?

Accepted Answer

Hawaiian birds are more commonly associated with issues like habitat loss and introduced predators rather than edge effects, which typically refer to changes in population or community structures that occur at the boundary of two habitats.

Question 5

In deciding where in the world to focus conservation efforts,select the least important factor.

Accepted Answer

While regions with low human population growth may be easier to maintain, it is not a crucial factor in prioritizing conservation efforts compared to protecting areas with unique habitats, high numbers of endemics, and species richness.

Question 6

Which one of the following is not a problem that results from a population being small?

Accepted Answer

Increased edge effects are not a problem resulting from a small population. Edge effects are caused by the ecological boundary where one habitat type meets another, and are not directly related to population size. The other options are all problems that can result from small populations, including reduced genetic diversity, the allee effect (reduced reproductive success at low population density), genetic drift (random fluctuation of allele frequencies), and the extinction vortex (reduced population size leading to further genetic drift and reduced reproductive success, ultimately leading to extinction).

Question 7

Human caused introductions can occur by all of the following except

Accepted Answer

Captive breeding is a method of reintroducing a species to its native habitat, rather than introducing a new species. Therefore, it is not a form of human caused introduction. Choices A, B, C, and D all involve unintentionally introducing non-native species to a new environment.

Question 8

Choose the letter of the best match from the following:
-An area with many endemic species,some of which are disappearing.

Accepted Answer

A hotspot is an area with a high level of biodiversity and a large number of endemic species. These areas are often threatened by human activities, such as habitat destruction and climate change, which can cause species to disappear at an alarming rate.

Question 9

Which one of the following statements about preservation of the Illinois prairie chicken is false?

Accepted Answer

Introducing a different species to interbreed with the Illinois prairie chicken would not enhance its genetic variability. It could actually decrease genetic variability by introducing genetic traits that are not adapted to the local environment. Additionally, interbreeding could result in hybridization and loss of parental species identity.

Question 10

Which one of the following is not a correct pairing of an important issue from conservation biology and an example or concept that relates to that issue?

Accepted Answer

Pristine restoration refers to restoring ecosystems to their original, untouched state, which is not possible for rain forests of Madagascar because they have been subjected to human activities for thousands of years. Therefore, pristine restoration is not a correct pairing for this issue.

Question 11

Which one of the following is not an ecosystem service?

Accepted Answer

Habitat restoration is a conservation action or intervention, but it is not an ecosystem service. Ecosystem services are the benefits that humans receive from natural ecosystems, such as pollination, water purification, and carbon sequestration.

Question 12

Which one of the following statements about the causes of extinction is false?

Accepted Answer

Prehistoric humans were responsible for the extinction of many megafauna species in North America, such as the woolly mammoth and saber-toothed tiger. Therefore, the statement that prehistoric humans lived in harmony with their megafauna is false.

Question 13

Starting with the overharvesting of plankton-eating whales by humans and ending with the thinning of the kelp forests in the Alaska near-shore community,which one of the following intervening events would have occurred fourth?

Accepted Answer

The third event in the sequence is the shift in killer whale prey, suggesting a decline in the availability of their previous prey. This is likely due to the decline in sea otter populations, as they are known to regulate sea urchin populations (the next event in the sequence). Therefore, the event that occurred before the sea otter population decline (event A) would be fourth in the sequence. The subsequent events are sea urchin population explosion and the thinning of the kelp forests. The increase in pollock populations and decline in sea lion/harbor seal populations are not directly related to the sequence of events leading to kelp forest thinning.

Question 14

Which one of the following statements about overexploitation of whales is false?

Accepted Answer

Since the worldwide moratorium on all commercial killing of whales, most species have not returned to pre-hunting levels. While some populations have shown signs of recovery, many species remain critically endangered due to past overexploitation and other threats such as bycatch and habitat loss.

Question 15

Choose the letter of the best match from the following:
-Almost all the large mammals disappeared from North America by about 10,000 years ago.

Accepted Answer

The statement refers to the megafaunal extinction event in North America, which is the disappearance of large mammals around 10,000 years ago.

Question 16

Which one of the following statements about habitat restoration is false?

Accepted Answer

Introducing parasites and predators of non-native species without thorough research can lead to unintended ecological consequences, making this statement false.

Question 17

The extinction vortex

Accepted Answer

The extinction vortex is a process by which a population decreases in size and becomes more vulnerable to extinction due to various factors, such as genetic drift, inbreeding, and environmental stressors. As the population size declines, the genetic diversity also decreases, which makes the population less adaptable and more susceptible to disease, predation, and other threats. This creates a downward spiral that is difficult to reverse and often leads to extinction.

Question 18

Which one of the following statements about captive breeding is false?

Accepted Answer

Inbreeding can be a major problem facing captive breeding programs, and reduced genetic heterogeneity can limit the success of captive breeding programs.

Question 19

Choose the letter of the best match from the following:
-A species goes extinct without any clear,single cause.

Accepted Answer

The term "extinction vortex" is used to describe a situation in which multiple factors, such as habitat loss and fragmentation, genetic drift, and disease, interact to drive a species toward extinction without any clear, single cause.

Question 20

Which one of the following pairings of conservation concern and an organism illustrating the consequences of that concern is incorrect?

Accepted Answer

Lake Victoria cichlids are not typically considered keystone species; they are more often discussed in the context of biodiversity loss and invasive species impacts.

Quiz 60: Conservation Biology

Which one of the following biology topics would be least useful to a conservation biologist?

Which one of the following was not an observation made in studies of the decline in populations of the American redstart,a migratory songbird?

Which one of the following statements about preservation of flying foxes in the Old World tropics is false?

Which one of the following pairings of conservation concern and an organism illustrating the consequences of that concern is incorrect?

In deciding where in the world to focus conservation efforts,select the least important factor.

Which one of the following is not a problem that results from a population being small?

Human caused introductions can occur by all of the following except

Choose the letter of the best match from the following: -An area with many endemic species,some of which are disappearing.

Which one of the following statements about preservation of the Illinois prairie chicken is false?

Which one of the following is not a correct pairing of an important issue from conservation biology and an example or concept that relates to that issue?

Which one of the following is not an ecosystem service?

Which one of the following statements about the causes of extinction is false?

Starting with the overharvesting of plankton-eating whales by humans and ending with the thinning of the kelp forests in the Alaska near-shore community,which one of the following intervening events would have occurred fourth?

Which one of the following statements about overexploitation of whales is false?

Choose the letter of the best match from the following: -Almost all the large mammals disappeared from North America by about 10,000 years ago.

Which one of the following statements about habitat restoration is false?

The extinction vortex

Which one of the following statements about captive breeding is false?

Choose the letter of the best match from the following: -A species goes extinct without any clear,single cause.

Which one of the following pairings of conservation concern and an organism illustrating the consequences of that concern is incorrect?