Deck 49: Human Impacts on the Biosphere

Question 1

Tom Curtis wrote a letter in 2006 to try and encourage research into

A)rare plants.
B)microorganisms.
C)agricultural crops.
D)prairie grasses.
E)all of these.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Settlers to the United States found between __________ and __________ passenger pigeons.They are extinct today.

A)15,000-25,000
B)3-5 billion
C)50-100 million
D)none; they are native to Europe
E)none of these

Answer 2

B

Question 3

A species that has population levels so low it faces extinction in all or part of its range is designated as

A)riparian.
B)endemic.
C)endangered.
D)fragmented.
E)an indicator.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The dodo

A)is a large, flightless bird.
B)became extinct at human hands.
C)lived only on Mauritius.
D)was plentiful in the year 1600
E)includes all of these descriptions.

Question 5

According to the text, __________ major mass extinction(s) and recovery(ies) has(have) taken place in the past.

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

Question 6

Recovery from a mass extinction requires about how long?

A)100,000 years
B)none of these because recovery is never possible
C)about as long as the extinction required
D)less than one million years
E)at least 10 million years

Question 7

Which of the following is most likely the cause of the current extinction crisis?

A)asteroid impact
B)human activity
C)adaptive radiation
D)tectonic activity
E)climate change

Question 8

Polar bears are top predators, and tests on their tissues have shown a surprising

A)resistance to warming.
B)amount of protein.
C)resistance to disease.
D)amount of mercury and organic pesticides
E)evidence of none of these.

Question 9

Exotic species that are introduced into a non-native habitat can

A)interbreed with native species.
B)drive endemic species to extinction.
C)die out due to competition from native species.
D)blend in with endemic species.
E)create habitat islands for themselves.

Question 10

All of the following are goals of conservation biology EXCEPT

A)to investigate the evolutionary and ecological origins of biodiversity.
B)to survey the range of biodiversity.
C)to determine if loss of any specific species would be detrimental to mankind.
D)to identify ways to maintain and use biodiversity to help man.
E)all of these are true.

Question 11

Curtis's contention that if the last blue whale were to choke on the last panda bear and it still would not be the end of the world was his way of

A)stressing the improper attitude of some environmental activists and to encourage the drilling for oil in Alaska.
B)stressing the importance of some bacteria to the biosphere.
C)encouraging the study of endangered species.
D)shocking an audience into the study of conservation biology.
E)doing none of these.

Question 12

Which of the following is least likely to be a cause of extinction?

A)asteroid impact
B)human activity
C)adaptive radiation
D)tectonic activity
E)climate change

Question 13

Habitat fragmentation can reduce biodiversity by

A)creating patches too small to maintain optimal breeding conditions.
B)increasing the effects of chemical pollution.
C)eliminating vast tracts of forests.
D)introducing exotic species into a habitat.
E)doing all of these.

Question 14

Habitats with the most species in greatest danger of extinction are called

A)ecoregions.
B)indicator species.
C)riparian zones.
D)hot spots.
E)conservation islands.

Question 15

Endemic means a species

A)originated in one geographic region and lives nowhere else.
B)could cause an epidemic at any time.
C)is on its way to extinction.
D)can live in only one habitat.
E)is extinct.

Question 16

The image of the animal shown above caused quite a media frenzy in recent years due to reports that it was not extinct.What is it?

A)blue-footed booby
B)ivory billed woodpecker
C)dodo bird
D)red caucaded woodpecker
E)none of these

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT a contributing factor in species extinction?

A)habitat loss
B)overharvesting
C)habitat fragmentation
D)conservation biology
E)illegal wildlife trading

Question 18

During the Proterozoic period photosynthetic cells caused

A)changes in the course of evolution due to production of oxygen.
B)massive extinctions due to the production of chemical neurotoxins.
C)the color of the oceans to change from blue to green.
D)land formation due to the sediment buildup in shallow seas.
E)none of these.

Question 19

Which of the following is an example of an interacting effect causing a decline in a species?

A)habitat loss of the polar bear
B)dodo birds being hunted by sailors
C)pollution buildup in the eggs of eagles
D)decline in buffalo causing a drop in native clover
E)all of these

Question 20

One of the major causes of panda bears becoming endangered is

A)habitat loss and fragmentation.
B)increasing the effects of chemical pollution.
C)a sexually transmitted disease that plagues the bears.
D)introduced exotic species into a habitat.
E)all of these.

Question 21

__________ species are likely to become endangered in the future.

Question 22

Development of cities and towns can have all of the following effects EXCEPT

A)to produce pollutants that kill endangered species.
B)to bring exotic species of plants to an area that take over and kill native species.
C)pet cats can kill songbirds.
D)to fragment breeding areas and interfere with normal migration patterns.
E)all of these are effects of development.

Question 23

Our knowledge of existing species is limited and biased toward __________.

Question 24

Biologists identify __________, which are larger regions characterized by their physical characteristics as well as the species in them.

Question 25

__________ cause habitat loss, degradation of habitat, and habitat fragmentation, all of which can endanger the __________ species.

Question 26

__________ species, which evolved in one place and are present only in that habitat, are highly vulnerable to extinction.

Question 27

An __________ species is one that is especially sensitive to environmental change and can be monitored to determine the health of an ecosystem.

Question 28

A broad land or ocean region defined by climate, geography, and producers is called

A)an ecoregion.
B)a hot spot.
C)a realm.
D)a habitat island.
E)the biosphere.

Question 29

All of the following can contribute to desertification EXCEPT

A)drought.
B)overplowing.
C)overgrazing.
D)natural fertilizer.
E)all of these.

Question 30

Conservation biology includes

A)a survey of biological diversity.
B)a look at the evolutionary origins of diversity.
C)ecological considerations of diversity.
D)an effort to maintain biodiversity.
E)all of these.

Question 31

We recognize three levels of biodiversity: genetic diversity, species diversity, and __________diversity.

Question 32

Which of the following are true of trash?

A)Cigarette filters can persist in the environment for 10 years.
B)Components of a disposable diaper will persist for 100 years.
C)A plastic bag can persist for 50 years.
D)Many animals are killed by consuming trash each year.
E)All of these are true.

Question 33

In 2006, the U.S.generated __________ tons of trash.

A)22 billion
B)251 million
C)29 million
D)200 million
E)none of these

Question 34

The first level of inquiry in making a systematic survey of biodiversity is carried out

A)at the ecoregion level.
B)among the riparian zones.
C)in hot spots.
D)at the regional research station.
E)on a global scale.

Question 35

__________ are regions rich in endemic species and under a high level of threat.

Question 36

All of the following can contribute to desertification EXCEPT

A)drought.
B)overplowing.
C)overgrazing.
D)farming in areas with high winds.
E)all of these.