Deck 11: Biodiversity and Conservation Biology

Question 1

Removal of which of the following species will always result in the greatest changes in an ecological system?

A)a keystone species
B)a carnivore species
C)a competitive species
D)a producer species
E)a decomposer species

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Bullfrog tadpoles are often sold as fish bait, even in areas where they do not occur naturally. When people buy 10 of them and don't use them all, they often dump the remainder into the lake or river. This is an example of _.

A)extirpation
B)overharvesting of species from the wild
C)habitat destruction
D)an intentional introduction
E)inbreeding

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below.
Many biologists and environmental educators are interested in maintaining biodiversity in urban landscapes, where preserves or reserves are scarce unless land has been set aside for them in urban planning. Nonetheless, they have discovered that making even small changes in commercial and residential landscaping can help promote biodiversity. Some of the changes that have been recommended and been successful include using native species for street trees and for decorative landscaping, reducing pesticide use on lawns and gardens, and reducing fertilizer use through composting and mulching.
Also, managers of schools, larger businesses, and residences are encouraged to increase habitat diversity by creating "landscape islands" that include larger trees surrounded by shrubs and herbaceous plants. Landscape islands ideally should include native species, mixed with exotic ornamentals at the discretion of the land owners.
In addition to the butterfly project, you decide to stop spraying the pesticides that control lawn pests. Over the next year, you notice that the lawn grass doesn't grow as well, but many other species of plants invade the lawn, many of them native species. This will result in all of the following, except .

A)competition between the lawn grass and the new species that invade the area
B)an increase in herbivorous insects and the small predators that eat them
C)an increase in bird species in your yard
D)lower survival rates for the caterpillars and butterflies
E)an increase in pollinating insects visiting your lawn and gardens

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Contrary to popular belief, the Endangered Species Act allows _ .

A)landowners to harm a protected species in one area if they protect it in another
B)habitats of protected species to be developed or logged as long as no individuals of the species are killed
C)landowners to kill endangered species for food if necessary
D)endangered species to be hunted as long as records are kept of numbers and sex of individuals taken
E)international trade in protected species to aid in times of economic hardship

Question 5

The greatest cause of the worldwide loss of species is .

A)water pollution
B)habitat destruction
C)decreased soil nutrients
D)anthropogenic activities
E)air pollution

Question 6

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below.
Many biologists and environmental educators are interested in maintaining biodiversity in urban landscapes, where preserves or reserves are scarce unless land has been set aside for them in urban planning. Nonetheless, they have discovered that making even small changes in commercial and residential landscaping can help promote biodiversity. Some of the changes that have been recommended and been successful include using native species for street trees and for decorative landscaping, reducing pesticide use on lawns and gardens, and reducing fertilizer use through composting and mulching.
Also, managers of schools, larger businesses, and residences are encouraged to increase habitat diversity by creating "landscape islands" that include larger trees surrounded by shrubs and herbaceous plants. Landscape islands ideally should include native species, mixed with exotic ornamentals at the discretion of the land owners.
Being interested in native butterflies, you include the native caterpillar host plants of several butterflies in your annual landscape design. You are happy to see that first caterpillars and later butterflies appear in your yard. However, the butterflies tend to disperse out of your yard. To keep the butterflies in your garden, an urban wildlife specialist suggests you .

A)introduce native flowering plants the adult butterflies need for nectar, their main food
B)place pans of honey solution around your yard to feed the butterflies
C)try to introduce predators of the butterflies
D)use pesticides to kill off predators
E)ask the neighbors to refrain from planting "butterfly plants" in their yards

Question 7

The Convention on Biological Diversity has goals that _ .

A)require biodiversity be used in a sustainable manner
B)are designed to reduce biodiversity
C)ensure the distribution of biodiversity's benefits to wealthy countries who can pay for them
D)include a set of international laws
E)spell out future management plans for all biomes

Question 8

The greatest diversity (numbers of different species)of organisms can be found in which of the following groups?

A)birds
B)fish
C)insects
D)mammals
E)flowering plants

Question 9

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)pollution of the open fields has caused a change in cowbird behavior
B)overharvesting in the open fields has driven the cowbirds into the woodlands
C)habitat fragmentation makes it easier for cowbird parasitism to occur
D)cowbirds are an invasive species that is rapidly increasing
E)climate change is reducing nest site availability

Question 10

Both _ and _ can change global species diversity?

A)speciation; immigration
B)immigration; extirpation
C)speciation; extinction
D)extirpation; extinction
E)emigration; extinction

Question 11

Endemic species are .

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

Question 12

In general, successfully introduced species experience .

A)competitive success against native species
B)decreased biotic potential
C)increases in limiting factors
D)increased environmental resistance
E)increased competition from other organisms

Question 13

Biodiversity enhances human food security because it .

A)decreases the number of predators
B)means that there is genetic uniformity
C)is a potential source of new food items or new genetic varieties of existing foods
D)increases the number of available pathogens
E)reduces the number of pollinators available to any one plant species

Question 14

Use the accompanying figure to answer the following questions.

There would be less loss of aesthetic and spiritual ties with nature if we .

A)do nothing to slow global climate change
B)decreased the rate of habitat alteration and destruction
C)accelerated globalization
D)had more per capita consumption
E)increased the rate of harvesting economically important species

Question 15

The loss of a particular population from a given area (but not the entire species globally)is called .

A)extinguishment
B)extinction
C)exposition
D)extirpation
E)emigration

Question 16

European rabbits were introduced into Australia and quickly spread, reproduced, and became a terrible pest. They eat up to $600 million worth of food and pasture crops annually, and have damaged the populations of many native plants and the populations of animals that eat the plants. Twice in the past 50 years, rabbit diseases have been introduced to try to control the population, with some success. This is a case where .

A)an invasive species has caused overharvesting
B)climate change has decreased the genetic diversity of indigenous species
C)an extirpation has occurred
D)habitat alteration resulted in decreased biodiversity
E)an invasive species has reduced the genetic diversity of indigenous species

Question 17

The species that are generally most vulnerable to human impact are the .

A)producers
B)decomposers
C)competitive species
D)top predators
E)keystone species

Question 18

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

A)should not be exposed to the dangers of natural ecosystems
B)have a better understanding of natural environments than their grandparents
C)should not participate in environmental education programs until high school
D)suffer psychologically and emotionally from "nature deficit disorder"
E)develop more balanced emotions in urban compared to natural settings

Question 19

Ecotourism .

A)is a reasonable option only in impoverished countries
B)decreases biodiversity by causing increased speciation in environmentally sensitive areas
C)decreases biodiversity by selling souvenir organisms
D)increases biodiversity by introducing new, rare species
E)maintains biodiversity by providing income to areas that might otherwise be destroyed

Question 20

A species of lizard has gone extinct. All of the following may have contributed to this extinction except .

A)introduction of a species that competed for food resources
B)increased genetic diversity within the species
C)inbreeding
D)habitat destruction by humans
E)climate change

Question 21

The country of Belize depends on lobster for a major portion of its income, along with fishing and tourism. Over the past 30 years the average size of an individual lobster has dropped, even as increasing numbers of Belizeans buy boats, build lobster traps, and enter the industry. This is an example of _ _.

A)overharvesting
B)the results of an invasive species
C)habitat alteration
D)the problems with monoculture
E)the effects of pollution

Question 22

The IUCN's Red List is .

A)an identification list of known species
B)a list of ecologically harmful invasive species
C)an updated list of species facing unusually high risk of extinction
D)a scorecard of international failures at conservation
E)a list of unidentified species

Question 23

Match the following.

A)extirpation
B)speciation
C)community
D)genetic diversity
E)ecocentricity
F)biophilia
G)alleles
H)hotspot
I)major species
J)extinction
K)umbrella species
An area that supports an especially great diversity of endemic species

Question 24

Species richness is affected by many variables. As one travels to higher latitudes, one would expect .

A)the number of species to increase
B)the number of species to be fairly constant
C)population viability to increase
D)the number of species to decrease
E)other factors to be more important than latitude

Question 25

Both and can change local species diversity but not global species diversity?

A)speciation; immigration
B)extirpation; extinction
C)emigration; extinction
D)immigration; extirpation
E)speciation; extinction

Question 26

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below.
Many biologists and environmental educators are interested in maintaining biodiversity in urban landscapes, where preserves or reserves are scarce unless land has been set aside for them in urban planning. Nonetheless, they have discovered that making even small changes in commercial and residential landscaping can help promote biodiversity. Some of the changes that have been recommended and been successful include using native species for street trees and for decorative landscaping, reducing pesticide use on lawns and gardens, and reducing fertilizer use through composting and mulching.
Also, managers of schools, larger businesses, and residences are encouraged to increase habitat diversity by creating "landscape islands" that include larger trees surrounded by shrubs and herbaceous plants. Landscape islands ideally should include native species, mixed with exotic ornamentals at the discretion of the land owners.
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)decreasing the plant biodiversity of the yard
B)making habitats for pollinators
C)increasing the biodiversity of soil organisms, including decomposers
D)increasing the populations of butterflies
E)decreasing the number of predatory animals and insects

Question 27

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below.
Many biologists and environmental educators are interested in maintaining biodiversity in urban landscapes, where preserves or reserves are scarce unless land has been set aside for them in urban planning. Nonetheless, they have discovered that making even small changes in commercial and residential landscaping can help promote biodiversity. Some of the changes that have been recommended and been successful include using native species for street trees and for decorative landscaping, reducing pesticide use on lawns and gardens, and reducing fertilizer use through composting and mulching.
Also, managers of schools, larger businesses, and residences are encouraged to increase habitat diversity by creating "landscape islands" that include larger trees surrounded by shrubs and herbaceous plants. Landscape islands ideally should include native species, mixed with exotic ornamentals at the discretion of the land owners.
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)resume spraying pesticides on the lawn
C)catch and kill the predators and parasites by hand
D)give up on the butterfly species you encouraged and try to attract new species.
E)spray pesticides on the plants to control the predators

Question 28

Match the following.

A)extirpation
B)speciation
C)community
D)genetic diversity
E)ecocentricity
F)biophilia
G)alleles
H)hotspot
I)major species
J)extinction
K)umbrella species
What is the value, to a species, of having genetic diversity?

Question 29

Match the following.

A)extirpation
B)speciation
C)community
D)genetic diversity
E)ecocentricity
F)biophilia
G)alleles
H)hotspot
I)major species
J)extinction
K)umbrella species
Animals, such as tigers, that need large amounts of land, and whose protection provides protection for many other species

Question 30

The field of conservation biology .

A)attempts to integrate an understanding of evolution and extinction with ecology and environmental systems
B)developed in response to government intervention
C)tries to increase speciation events in order to increase biodiversity
D)tries to conserve every species, everywhere
E)was initially viewed as too measurement oriented, looking at details and not at the big picture

Question 31

Match the following.

A)extirpation
B)speciation
C)community
D)genetic diversity
E)ecocentricity
F)biophilia
G)alleles
H)hotspot
I)major species
J)extinction
K)umbrella species
The connections that human beings subconsciously seek with the rest of life

Question 32

Match the following.

A)extirpation
B)speciation
C)community
D)genetic diversity
E)ecocentricity
F)biophilia
G)alleles
H)hotspot
I)major species
J)extinction
K)umbrella species
Differences in DNA composition among individuals within a given species

Question 33

What is the greatest contributing factor in the loss of polar bears in arctic areas?

A)hunting of the polar bear by the Inuit people
B)the tundra shifting northward
C)fires in the taiga and tundra
D)decline in sea ice
E)the decline of lemmings; the primary food of the polar bear

Question 34

Paleontologists estimate that _ .

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

Question 35

Match the following.

A)extirpation
B)speciation
C)community
D)genetic diversity
E)ecocentricity
F)biophilia
G)alleles
H)hotspot
I)major species
J)extinction
K)umbrella species
A population differentiating, over time, into a new species

Question 36

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below.
Many biologists and environmental educators are interested in maintaining biodiversity in urban landscapes, where preserves or reserves are scarce unless land has been set aside for them in urban planning. Nonetheless, they have discovered that making even small changes in commercial and residential landscaping can help promote biodiversity. Some of the changes that have been recommended and been successful include using native species for street trees and for decorative landscaping, reducing pesticide use on lawns and gardens, and reducing fertilizer use through composting and mulching.
Also, managers of schools, larger businesses, and residences are encouraged to increase habitat diversity by creating "landscape islands" that include larger trees surrounded by shrubs and herbaceous plants. Landscape islands ideally should include native species, mixed with exotic ornamentals at the discretion of the land owners.
From your experiences with the lawn and the butterfly garden, you can affirm that .

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

Question 37

Changes in habitat have tremendous effects on the organisms that depend on them. These effects are .

A)generally negative; organisms are already adapted to the habitats in which they occur and any change is likely to render the habitat less suitable
B)generally positive; organisms are already adapted to the habitats in which they occur and any change is likely to render the habitat more suitable
C)generally negative; the changes usually cause rapid extinction of most species
D)generally neutral; the variations within each species allow them to adapt very quickly
E)generally positive; the changes increase the habitat that is available for species to colonize

Question 38

Wildlife in the Serengeti is currently threatened by .

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

Question 39

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

A)earthquakes, tsunamis, and forest fires
B)invasive exotic species
C)global climate change
D)habitat alteration and destruction
E)pollution from pesticides, eutrophication, and other causes

Question 40

Match the following.

A)extirpation
B)speciation
C)community
D)genetic diversity
E)ecocentricity
F)biophilia
G)alleles
H)hotspot
I)major species
J)extinction
K)umbrella species
The loss of species from the planet

Question 41

What is the Endangered Species Act? Describe one of its successes and explain some of the current controversies surrounding it.

Question 42

Match the following.

A)extirpation
B)speciation
C)community
D)genetic diversity
E)ecocentricity
F)biophilia
G)alleles
H)hotspot
I)major species
J)extinction
K)umbrella species
Is extinction natural? How has the extinction rate changed over time? Why are extinction rates today different than in the past?

Question 43

What are the major causes of the sixth mass extinction event, and why is it of particular concern?

Question 44

What is the value, to humankind, of biodiversity?

Question 45

Match the following.

A)extirpation
B)speciation
C)community
D)genetic diversity
E)ecocentricity
F)biophilia
G)alleles
H)hotspot
I)major species
J)extinction
K)umbrella species
Provide several reasons why our estimates of species numbers are incomplete.