Deck 8: Biodiversity Palm Oil Plantations Threaten Tropical Forests

Question 1

There are currently around 1.9 million species that have been identified.What is the total number of species predicted to live on Earth?

A)between 1 million and 2 million
B)between 2 million and 3 million
C)between 3 million and 11 million
D)between 11 million and 19 million
E)over 1 billion

Answer 1

between 3 million and 11 million

Question 2

What is the estimated monetary value of annual ecosystem services the Earth provides?

A)$1 billion
B)$16 billion
C)$120 billion
D)$122 billion
E)$125 trillion

Answer 2

$120 billion

Question 3

Palm oil can be found in which of the following products?

A)chocolate
B)shampoos
C)toilet cleaner
D)peanut butter
E)Palm oil can be found in all of the above products.

Answer 3

Palm oil can be found in all of the above products.

Question 4

What percentage of mammal species originally found in the natural forest can be found on palm oil plantations?

A)10
B)95
C)5
D)50
E)75

Question 5

Why do tropical areas typically have more biodiversity than colder or drier climates?

Question 6

What is NOT an example of an ecosystem service?

A)fuel made from forest materials
B)water purification
C)decomposition of organic material
D)camping
E)All of these choices are examples of ecosystem services.

Question 7

Take what you know about biodiversity and climate change.Which ecosystem do you think would be more resistant to the effects of climate change (to a point): one with a high level of biodiversity or one with a low level of biodiversity? Explain your answer.

Question 8

What are ecosystem services?

A)a system of trade for nature products
B)nonessential processes of nature
C)life-supporting ecological processes
D)services that are valuable only to humans
E)all life-supporting processes that do not garner a monetary benefit for humans

Question 9

Which of the following would be an economic benefit of biodiverse ecosystems?

A)enjoyment of a natural area for hiking
B)appreciation of a beautiful waterfall
C)insects pollinating flowers
D)the production of chemicals to manufacture medicines
E)water cycling through a forest

Question 10

Of the following ecosystems,which likely has the MOST biodiversity?

A)desert
B)lake
C)temperate forest
D)frozen tundra
E)tropical rain forest

Question 11

Which of the following is TRUE of the biodiversity on Earth?

A)There are more categorized than uncategorized species on Earth.
B)There are more uncategorized than categorized species on Earth.
C)There are no uncategorized species on Earth.
D)There are more known species of plants than any other group of organisms.
E)There are more species of mammals than species of insects.

Question 12

Biodiversity is important in a population because ____________.

A)individuals in that population need a variety of mates.
B)it allows the population to be more resistant to disruptions.
C)it increases the population's vulnerability to extinction.
D)it increases the chances that each member of the population will be identical to each other member.
E)it measures the species' richness but not the genetic diversity in the population and is therefore a great predictor of ecosystem stability.

Question 13

Which groupings of organisms are ordered from most diverse to least diverse?

A)plants > fungi > bacteria > insects > vertebrates
B)insects > plants > fungi > vertebrates > bacteria
C)fungi > insects > bacteria > vertebrates > plants
D)insects > vertebrates > plants > fungi > bacteria
E)bacteria > insects > plants > fungi > vertebrates

Question 14

Why do you think scientists know much more about the diversity of mammals than they do insects?

Question 15

Not killing a spider because it scares you is an example of what kind of value?

A)instrumental
B)intrinsic
C)genetic
D)ecosystem

Question 16

Biodiversity has many benefits,including ____________.

A)the regulation of ecosystems
B)the selection of particular species to survive
C)the ability to predict which species will go extinct in an ecosystem
D)the propagation of disease-carrying organisms

Question 17

What percentage of palm oil comes from plantations in Southeast Asia?

A)10
B)25
C)50
D)75
E)95%

Question 18

Since the early 1990s,more than 8 million hectares of rainforest have been cleared in Southeast Asia for growing which crop?

A)corn
B)rubber trees
C)sugar cane
D)oil palms
E)pineapples

Question 19

Which of the following is NOT an environmental cost of clearing tropical forests?

A)accelerating global warming
B)increased soil erosion
C)increased flooding
D)increased biodiversity
E)increased air pollution

Question 20

What is biodiversity?

A)the measurement of individuals in a particular population
B)diversity that refers only to coloration of fur,feathers,and skin
C)the variety of all living and nonliving things on Earth
D)the variety of all living things on Earth
E)a field of study that focuses on humans and their interactions with the environment

Question 21

If you enjoy hiking in nature,what type of ecosystem services are you enjoying?

A)cultural benefits
B)economic provisions
C)recreational benefits
D)ecosystem support services

Question 22

What is the connection between endemic species and endangered species?

Question 23

What was the cause of the potato famine in Ireland?

A)The climate was unsuitable for growing potatoes.
B)A fungus attacked and killed the potato population.
C)Sheep ate all the potatoes.
D)The potatoes had too much genetic diversity to survive.

Question 24

You see a bee pollinating a flower.This is an example of which ecosystem service?

A)cultural benefits
B)economic provisions
C)recreational benefits
D)ecosystem regulation and support services

Question 25

Which population would be the most likely to survive a disturbance in their ecosystem?

A)one with high genetic diversity
B)one with low genetic diversity
C)one with no genetic diversity
D)one with medium genetic diversity

Question 26

Which of the following is TRUE of isolation and extinction risk?

A)The number of unique species increases with isolation.
B)The larger the population size,the more likely a random event might exterminate the entire group.
C)Isolation increases the chance of recolonization to replace lost members.
D)Isolation increases the genetic diversity of a population.

Question 27

Which type of diversity provides the raw material that allows populations to adapt to their environment?

A)ecosystem
B)species
C)genetic
D)community
E)population

Question 28

An ecosystem with high species richness but low evenness would have ____________.

A)many different species,with each population having similar amounts of individuals in the ecosystem
B)few species,with one population being overrepresented in the ecosystem
C)many different species,with one population being overrepresented in the ecosystem
D)few species,with each population having similar amounts of individuals in the ecosystem

Question 29

It is common for fast food restaurants to use a particular species of potato to make their French fries.This species has a characteristic shape and size that fits nicely in the potato cutting machines.They also have the desired taste and color the fast food restaurants,and their patrons,prefer.You can image that potato farming for fast food restaurants is a lucrative business.Given what you know about the Irish potato famine,how are fast food restaurants endangering potato crops and farming?

Question 30

The varieties of apples in the produce section of the grocery store would be an example of ____________ diversity.

A)ecosystem
B)genetic
C)species
D)artificial
E)community

Question 31

How many land and aquatic regions have been designated as biodiversity hotspots?

A)30
B)35
C)36
D)40
E)50

Question 32

Which human impact contributes to isolation?

A)habitat destruction
B)habitat fragmentation
C)pollution
D)climate change
E)overharvesting

Question 33

Biodiversity hotspots cover a small percentage of land and water but hold more than _______ of all plant and vertebrate endemic animal species.

A)90% to 95%
B)10% to 15%
C)40% to 50%
D)25% to 50%
E)70% to 80%

Question 34

How could the effects of global warming diminish ecosystem services? Use genetic,species,and ecosystem diversity in your answer.

Question 35

The population of "fast food potatoes" would lack what kind of diversity: genetic,species,or ecological? explain your answer.

Question 36

Why might a species become endangered?

A)habitat loss
B)low genetic diversity
C)human involvement (for example,hunting,destruction of habitat)
D)habitat loss and human involvement
E)habitat loss,low genetic diversity,and human involvement

Question 37

What is the MOST likely location of a biodiversity hotspot?

A)prairie
B)island
C)ocean
D)expansive forest
E)Sahara Desert

Question 38

Why are biodiversity hotspots important?

Question 39

Which of the following is NOT true of endemic species?

A)They exist in only one area on Earth.
B)They are specially adapted to their environment.
C)An endemic population cannot easily disperse to share genes with other populations.
D)They are less susceptible to extinction than other species.
E)They are commonly found in small isolated ecosystems.

Question 40

Biodiversity at the community level is known as ____________ diversity.

A)population
B)genetic
C)species
D)ecological
E)biosphere

Question 41

Refer to Infographic 5 below.Which of the islands A,B,or C would have the lowest number of endemic species and why?

Question 42

What is one situation seen in natural forests that is not found in palm oil plantations?

A)Only half as many birds are found in natural forests than are found on palm oil plantations.
B)Palm oil plantations have lower rates of flooding than natural forests.
C)Palm oil plantations have more insect biodiversity than natural forests.
D)More than 15% of all bird,reptile,and amphibian species on Earth can be found in natural forests.

Question 43

What are some ways that you can protect biodiversity?

Question 44

How do palm oil plantations,a lucrative business,still decrease ecosystem services of the local ecosystems?

Question 45

What is one major motivation for companies to source sustainably grown palm oil?

A)The palm oil is cheaper.
B)The palm oil tastes better.
C)Their customers demand sustainably grown palm oil.
D)Their customers demand cheaper prices on palm oil products.
E)The government requires them to.

Question 46

What is the largest human-caused threat to biodiversity?

A)pollution
B)introduction of invasive species
C)illegal trade of animal body parts
D)habitat destruction
E)fair trade practices

Question 47

What personal choice would NOT protect Earth's biodiversity?

A)buying captive-bred birds
B)planting a rain garden in a ditch by the road
C)limiting the use of weed killer on your lawn
D)always buying the cheapest product,no matter how it was farmed
E)joining a local wildlife monitoring group

Question 48

If islands make up a tiny percentage of the landmass of Earth,why have they accounted for around half of all species extinctions in the past 400 years?

Question 49

If a species is extirpated,this means that ____________.

A)it does not exist in any ecosystem-it is extinct
B)its close relatives,but not the same species,will continue to exist
C)it is extinct in one ecosystem but still exists in others
D)it has grown in numbers and disrupts the evenness of the species diversity for that ecosystem

Question 50

Why must certified sustainable palm oil plantations be required to minimize their use of fire and pesticides?

A)Fire and pesticides decrease the genetic,species,and ecosystem diversity of the local ecosystem.
B)Fire and pesticides kill the palm trees,causing the farmers to replant the trees every year.
C)Fire and pesticides make the palm oil taste bad.
D)Fire and pesticides may cause harm to plantation workers.
E)Certified sustainable palm oil plantations are not restricted in their use of fire and pesticides.

Question 51

In an effort to repair damage to the ecosystem,some lumber companies plant trees after they have cleared the forest for timber.Can you think of any scenarios where this would be a BAD thing for the ecosystem?

Question 52

The leading cause of habitat destruction has historically been and continues to be ____________.

A)suburban development
B)clearing land for agriculture
C)mineral mining
D)timber harvesting
E)construction of dams in waterways

Question 53

Why is palm oil a good alternative to other edible oils?

A)Palm oil plantations produce more oil per acre than other oil crops.
B)Palm oil is cheaper.
C)Palm oil is healthier than other edible oils containing trans fats.
D)Palm oil can be sustainably farmed.
E)All of these choices are correct.

Question 54

If new ecosystems can replace collapsed ecosystems,why are people still concerned with ecosystem destruction?

A)They are not concerned.
B)New ecosystems typically do not form fast enough to prevent ecosystem services loss.
C)The new ecosystem will be just like the old and will collapse again.
D)The same species will not repopulate the new ecosystem.
E)It costs a lot of money to replace ecosystems.

Question 55

Compare and contrast habitat destruction and habitat fragmentation.

Question 56

If an extirpated species is extinct in only one particular location,is this important or does the fact that it still exists in other places make the extinction not a big deal?

Question 57

Habitat fragmentation can be detrimental to species because ____________.

A)populations of the same species may be separated and would no longer be able to mate
B)there are no livable habitats left after fragmentation
C)it increases the chance that species will breed with other species out of necessity
D)it decreases the isolation of particular populations
E)it encourages genetic diversity,which leads to species diversity

Question 58

Why is increased genetic diversity tied to an increased chance of survival for populations?

Question 59

What is NOT a cause of habitat destruction?

A)consumer need/want
B)water dams
C)coal mining
D)expansion of cities
E)conversion to sustainable farming

Question 60

Which event would NOT lead to possible endemic species loss on a remote island?

A)hurricane
B)fire
C)deforestation
D)introduction of invasive species
E)All of these choices could lead to possible endemic species loss.

Question 61

Science Literacy Use the following graphic to answer the following questions.
Which island would have the lowest number of endemic species?

A)A
B)B
C)C

Question 62

What is true of the degree of endemism and the relationship to isolation on an island such as one of the Hawaiian Islands?

A)As isolation increases on an island,the degree of endemism generally increases.
B)As isolation decreases on an island,the degree of endemism generally increases.
C)As isolation increases on an island,the degree of endemism generally decreases.
D)As isolation decreases on an island,the degree of endemism generally decreases.

Question 63

Since Hawaii has a large number of plant and animal species compared to other regions,you would say they have ____________ biodiversity.

A)high
B)low
C)no

Question 64

Science Literacy Use the following graphic to answer the following questions.
What is true of the individuals on island A?

A)New species or additional individuals will most likely not come over from the mainland,and the population may produce a new species.
B)The individuals can move easily to and from the mainland and will not become genetically different.
C)It will have the most niches and the largest number of species of all the islands.

Question 65

From the description,the Hawaiian Islands would be classified as a(n)____________.

A)biodiversity highlight
B)biodiversity hotspot
C)endangered hotspot
D)tropical hotspot

Question 66

When you are out hiking in the tropical jungle,you are amazed at all the different plants you see.You also see many animals and many insects.You are thinking of how we know more about some life forms than others.Of the species you see,the group we know the most about are the ____________.

A)mammals
B)plants
C)insects
D)bacteria

Question 67

match each term in the left-hand column to the statement that best defines it.

Question 68

While hiking,you spot a Hawaiian duck,a bird only found in Hawaii.This makes it ____________.

A)extinct
B)endemic
C)extirpated

Question 69

You take a snorkeling trip off the coast of one of the islands.You see many fish,corals,and even some dolphins.Your snorkeling trip is an example of which ecosystem service?

A)ecosystem regulation and support
B)human provisions
C)cultural benefits

Question 70

Science Literacy Use the following graphic to answer the following questions.
Which island would have the highest number of endemic species?

A)A
B)B
C)C

Question 71

Science Literacy Use the following graphic to answer the following questions.
Between islands B and C,which one will have more species?

A)B
B)C
C)They will have the same number of species.