Question 1

All members of a rare cycad (ancient tree) species have been illegally removed from wild ecosystems in Africa.They exist today only in botanical parks and private collections.The cause of this type of species extinction is termed _______.

Accepted Answer

The answer of All members of a rare cycad (ancient...

Question 2

Ecologically, if an area cannot support viable populations of a species or it lacks its original ecosystem services and functions, it does not meet the qualifications to be considered a _______.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Ecologically, if an area cannot support viable...

Question 3

Over several years, a natural prairie area is broken into smaller and smaller fragments to provide more land for agriculture.As this occurs, the remaining natural prairie becomes more subject to changing biodiversity due to greater _______.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Over several years, a natural prairie area...

Question 4

All species are affected by climate change, and some of them respond by moving their ranges poleward.Of the insects, birds, and trees contained in a given ecosystem, the _______ would likely be the slowest to move their ranges.

Accepted Answer

The answer of All species are affected by climate change,...

Question 5

Costa Rica protects the country's high level of biodiversity by offering environmentally sensitive hiking and bird-watching trips to protected national parks.This maintenance of a noneconomic value (biodiversity) by the use of an economic-based industry is known as _______.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Costa Rica protects the country's high level...

Question 6

Cheetah populations around the world have very low effective population sizes and low genetic diversity.Relate these factors to the concept of an "extinction vortex," and explain how this concept might apply to future cheetah populations.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Cheetah populations around the world have very...

Question 7

The cane toad is native to Central and South America and can grow to be a foot long.It was introduced into Hawaii, the Philippines, and the Caribbean to control pests in sugarcane fields.It quickly became a serious pest itself because it eats anything it can fit into its mouth.It also secretes a powerful toxin.The cane toad can best be described as a(n) _______.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The cane toad is native to Central...

Question 8

As temperatures increase and spring arrives earlier, it is likely that more and more animals and plants will start to reproduce _______ in the season.

Accepted Answer

The answer of As temperatures increase and spring arrives earlier,...

Question 9

A program in which the National Wildlife Federation certifies individuals' backyards as wildlife-friendly habitats can be considered a _______ system.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A program in which the National Wildlife...

Question 10

In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the major cause of species extinction was _______.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries,...

Question 11

After pumas were hunted to extinction in a region of North America, the deer population soared, leading to indirect effects on lower levels of the food web.This suggests that pumas were a keystone species and that their removal led to an interruption in the _______ of the ecosystem.

Accepted Answer

The answer of After pumas were hunted to extinction in...

Question 12

To accommodate the needs of various local groups, park managers in the Philippines maintained the outer boundaries of a national park but adjusted the internal boundaries.They defined a core area where biodiversity was completely protected, and they assigned several outer multiple-use zones.These multiple-use zones might also be called _______.

Accepted Answer

The answer of To accommodate the needs of various local...

Question 13

Conservation biologists in the past have concentrated on preserving ecosystems high in biodiversity.However, there has been a continued loss of biodiversity due to habitat loss, climate change, and other factors.The emphasis on preserving ecosystems is thus evolving to place a greater emphasis on rebuilding degraded ecosystems, a process known as _______.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Conservation biologists in the past have concentrated...

Question 14

In tropical regions such as Malaysia and Indonesia, huge swaths of rainforest are cut and replaced with palm oil plantations.Species such as orangutans, tigers, elephants, and rhinoceroses are isolated, and their sources of food and shelter are declining.The best description of the pressure on biodiversity in this situation is _______.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In tropical regions such as Malaysia and...

Question 15

A semitropical coastal region is undergoing development, and there are plans to destroy a local mangrove swamp to allow offshore oil development in the area.The mangrove swamp is highly diverse and serves as a nursery for many marine organisms, including some of economic value.It also buffers the city from storm surges.You are asked to speak to the city council about the proposed project.Briefly summarize the types of biodiversity-related losses that are likely to occur if the swamp is destroyed during oil development.Include both economic and noneconomic impacts.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A semitropical coastal region is undergoing development,...

Question 16

The fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, or Bd, appears to be partly responsible for the worldwide decline in _______.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, or Bd,...

Question 17

North America's largest flying bird, the California condor, survives today because of a preservation program called _______.

Accepted Answer

The answer of North America's largest flying bird, the California...

Question 18

In the Hawaiian Islands, non-native mosquitoes introduced the blood disease malaria, which has wiped out nearly all low-elevation native birds.This species of mosquito was introduced, and because of its effect on native populations, it can now be considered _______.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In the Hawaiian Islands, non-native mosquitoes introduced...

Question 19

The predicted increases in world temperatures, sea level, storms, and ocean acidification are all aspects of _______.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The predicted increases in world temperatures, sea...

Question 20

Winter moth, a species of moth that was introduced to the United States from Europe, has spread widely and become a threat to many trees.Winter moth would be classified as a(n) _______ species.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Winter moth, a species of moth that...

Quiz 58: A Changing Biosphere