Exam 56: Conservation Biology and Global Change

Use the following figure to answer the question. Examine the figure and consider this hypothesis: Plant biomass increases with species richness. Functional groups are categories of plants each containing numerous species, such as grasses and wildflowers, or trees and shrubs. In looking at the data in the figure, how would you relate it to this hypothesis? The hypothesis is ________.

Of the following statements about protected areas that have been established to preserve biodiversity, which one is not correct?

Why are changes in the global carbon cycle important?

Erwin and Scott used an insecticidal fog to knock down insects from the top section of a L. seemannii tree. The researchers identified over 900 species of beetles among the individuals that fell. Erwin also projected that this entire tree from top to bottom is host to about 600 arthropod species that are unique to this tree species and not found on any other tree species. There are approximately 50,000 species of tropical trees. Although it could not be entirely accurate, what would be the best way to estimate the total number of arthropod species?

Use the following figure to answer the question. Looking at the figure, what can you conclude about the data?

Which of the following factors could cause the largest increase in the effective population size of a species?

If the sex ratio in a population is significantly different from 50:50, then which of the following statements will always be accurate?

Movement corridors can be harmful to certain species because they ________.

Easter Island is an extremely isolated island in the Pacific, about 3,500 km from South America. Although there are no forests on the island now, archeological studies, fossil pollen, and other data show that Easter Island was once home to forests containing giant palms and other trees. Some scientists think that the removal of the giant palms caused the forest ecosystem to collapse. Which of the following factors might have caused this collapse?

Loss of biodiversity matters not only with regard to mammals or other vertebrates, but also microbes. Why are microbes worthy of discovery and protection from extinction?

Introduced species can have deleterious effects on biological communities by ________.

Which of the following threats to biodiversity is targeted at specific species rather than groups of species?

Use the following figure to answer the question. Five new individuals were added to a small population of bighorn sheep in 1986, and ten more were added between 1990 and 1994. According to the figure, what occurred in this population after these additions?

One characteristic that distinguishes a population in an extinction vortex from most other populations is that

Use the graphs to answer the question. Archeological, fossil, and geological data provide information on the Mayan populations and their environment in Mexico, in the Caribbean state of Yucatán. The graphs depict population size, percentage of the land that was forested, and the amount of soil erosion. Based on the figure, what can you conclude about the history of land use in the southern Yucatán?

Which of the following statements is accurate with respect to the red-cockaded woodpecker populations in the southeastern United States?

Which of the following conditions is the most likely indicator of a population in an extinction vortex?

Which one of the following is most likely to be a hot spot of biodiversity for birds?

Use the following figure to answer the question. According to the figure, what is the most accurate explanation for the data after 1985?

Which of the following is a consequence of biological magnification?